


Harriet Potter and the League of Misandry

by Radiklement



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Animagus, Crack Fic, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Genderbend, Hogwarts First Year, M/M, Mystery, lots of werewolves, new wizard sport
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2018-11-30 09:12:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 69,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11460525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radiklement/pseuds/Radiklement
Summary: Harriet Potter, daughter of James Potter and unknown mother, has been raised by her godfathers, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, despite the threat of she-who-must-not-be-named, a witch killing Muggle and wizard alike, for being either homosexual or despotic patriarchs. Harriet is preparing herself for Hogwarts, knowing that she’ll study with her best and only friend, Neville Longbottom, who’s been adopted and raised by Lily Evans, their potion master. Will Harriet be able to shed any light on she-who-must-be-named’s real reasons for killing James Potter, or even to put an end to the mindless killings that could expose the magical word to Muggle society? Will she receive help from Ron Weasley, the lanky but tough red head from Gryffindor? Can she count on the competitive Cho Chang from Ravenclaw or should she side with Draco Malfoy, her instant rival? And why is Severus Snape always looking out for her although he seems to hate her?





	1. The girl with 3 fathers

“Harriet Cecilia Potter!” Remus Lupin called out angrily.

She was going to drive them late.

“Just two more minutes, daddy…”

Water was splashing in the bathroom and somehow, Remus knew she was swimming around, diving back in her animagus’ form. Harriet was a brilliant young witch. Sometimes, it drove her surrogate family close to madness. She could transform into a sea turtle and had taken the habit to transform at least once every day. Her baths always took an awful lot because she retired in the mind of the turtle, so she could escape from reality. Remus impatiently checked the clock that was ticking every new minutes. Sirius chuckled at the look on his lover’s face.

“It’s not that bad, her school things won’t run away you know.”

“Why again aren’t you coming with us, Padfoot?”

“I have work to do, the Men Eaters won’t catch themselves.”

It was always the same excuses. As an Auror, Sirius had to chase the nefarious Men Eaters, a cast following in the traces of you-know-who and her never-ending quest to annihilate homosexuality and patriarchy in any of their form. Wizard or Muggle. It was already hard to protect the wizarding world’s people, but the secret of magic itself was at stake since the start of this… peculiar war of ideals. It had all started fifteen years ago, when a mysterious witch tried to kill Albus Dumbledore. Ever since, Hogwarts’ headmaster had been on the run and men allegedly mistreating women or being openly gay had started dying. Ministers were ambushed and subjected to either of the Unforgivable Curses. Family had been destroyed. Women were killed if they tried to defend their brothers, husbands or sons. She-who-must-no-be-named was angry at the whole world. She chased Dumbledore and many other wizards around the world. For the muggles, it was some sexist psychopath. For Remus and Sirius, it was a constant reminder that their domestic situation should remain as unknown as possible. Thankfully, you-know-who hadn’t been really active in the five last years, attacking in other countries mostly, while her followers were randomly attacking people every now and then, keeping the ministry of Magic on its toes.

Despite the fact the werewolf’s self-esteem was higher than usual, he was still panicked when he had to face the wizarding world. Being a werewolf was already bad in the eyes of wizard, and being gay was almost just as bad given you-know-who’s actions. Going on Diagon Alley was a challenge for him. Harriet had barely ever been exposed to the wizarding world herself and he was one overly protective father.

“Sirius, I …”

Energetic thumping preceded the young teenage girl as she rushed down the stairs and excitedly started to jump around their kitchen. Her short hair was still wet from her bath and she wore blue jeans and a rock sweater. Both men looked up and while Sirius smiled, Remus held it back, knowing one of them had to be serious to ground her a little.

“Are we taking the floo this time?!” Harriet asked as she slipped one arm beneath the wolf’s arm.

Harriet Potter was your typical, average young witch. She was renowned as the last living heir to the Potter family. Her father, James Potter, had died by the hand of you-know-who almost eleven years ago for reasons Remus and Sirius couldn’t begin to fathom. James had never appeared the kind to conjure the-one-who-should-not-be-named’s hatred. Actually, Harriet should have been in more danger living with her two godfathers. It was the main reason they stayed in a modern muggle neighborhood. Once a month, Sirius had to cast all the deafening spells he knew to prevent the people on their street to suspect Remus’ true nature. Lily Evans, the family friend and Harriet’s godmother also came at least once a month to deliver the Wolfsbane potion that she prepared. Harriet would learn how to make it as soon as she’d start studying at Hogwarts.

“Dearie, don’t be too hard on Moony, his transformation was just a few days ago.” Sirius reminded her.

She gave them a sheepish grin as Remus shrugged.

“I’m not that sore. Did you pour salt in your bath water again, Harriet?” the werewolf asked, removing a large chalk of salt from her damp hair.

“I’m a sea turtle, not a salmon!”             

“My sweet turtle, you should know better than to leave salt in your hair.”

“You’re both avoiding my question. We’re taking the bus, dad? Again?”

“You know we need to lay low Harriet.” Sirius warned her.

Harriet felt tired of her recluse life. She was always on her own and both of her dads were awesome, she couldn’t complain, but the magic wanted to soar in her blood. She wished she could use it all the time. In a few days, she would turn eleven and be forced to keep her magic usage to a minimum. She was one non-registered animagus and she would be watched closely by the ministry whenever she’d be out of school. Speaking of school, she couldn’t wait to get there. And the first step was getting in Diagon Alley and collecting her school stuff. Remus had promised to let her into her vault in Gringotts for the second time of her life and even to let her buy a pet if she felt up to it.

“Nothing bad has happened recently. I know there has been dark times in the past, but she-who-has-no-name hasn’t done anything for a while now.”

She didn’t miss James Potter. She was too young to remember him and even though she had a bunch of albums filled with photographs of her biological father, the young girl wasn’t sure she’d wanted a different life. Remus was dotting and caring while Sirius was crazy and downright funny. She had the best fathers in the world. Whenever kids tried to make fun of her for being raised by two men, she’d stand strong and smiled at their mean words. The only real regret she carried was not knowing who her mother was. James had cut himself from his friends around the moment of her birth and had never gotten married or engaged. Magic wasn’t as advanced as Muggle science and despite the extensive research both her adoptive fathers had done, this mystery had remained unsolved. To compensate being motherless, she had three fathers instead of one.

“We’ll use floo next time, Harriet.” Remus suggested as he checked her school list for the nth time. Sirius had gotten up from the kitchen’s table and was gathering his work tools. He kissed her on the cheek and exchanged a brief kiss with the werewolf before to urge them out. The pattern was pretty usual.

Lupin had a lot more free-time than Sirius, being mostly un-employed. He had been the one nursing Harriet when she was an infant or whenever she got sick.

“You’ll miss the bus at this rate. Go already, you’ll bicker on the road.” He cheered them.

“Good day, dad,” she bid him goodbye.

They climbed on the muggle bus and sat down on their usual row, receiving a few stares. There had been talks around the town about the pair of men raising a daughter. Old-fashioned people were outraged while the authorities shut a blind eye and most of the neighbours just wanted to mind about their own problem. Harriet was quite normal and average for a witch walking among Muggles. Although her aura was attracting all kind of attention. A speck of Veela’s blood was flowing in her veins and she could mesmerize both wizards and muggles. She hated that aspect of herself, not ready at all to open herself to the idea of love or boys. Or even girls if she had to realize it was her preference. Harriet cut her hair short, hoping it was taking most of the charm away. She had a pale complexion beneath a few freckles and dark hair. Her eyes were pitch black, but there was always a twinkle in her irises.

“Don’t pull any stunt, young girl.” Remus warned her as he observed how she was eyeing a pair of boys on the other side of the bus.

Harriet was pretty normal and average, when she didn’t let her magic run wild. She had managed to set a cat on fire one day and even to have a boy dancing on his desk in the middle of class for one hour straight. Although the people around her thought it was coincidences or spur of the moment decisions, her fathers knew she was doing this.

She was the only witch around the neighborhood. Sirius and Remus had worked hard to keep her isolated. They wanted her safe even if that meant bored.

“I wouldn’t try anything with a master of stunt around.” She retorted.

The trio had enjoyed pulling tricks at each other for most of her life. Harmless things most of the time, but enough to have Lily rolling her eyes at their antics. Remus tried to be the sensible one, but he knew how laughing could keep someone healthy and mostly happy. He needed Harriet to be happy, after not being there for James when he needed help and protection. Wormtail’s treason and James’ death had left the Phoenix’s Order in shambles. Dumbledore had been running all over the world, barely staying alive. Snape had vanished for two years, surely joining the dark arts while Evans raised a counter force with the Longbottom’s and the Lovegood’s. Lily alone had survived it, taking Neville under her wing while Luna Lovegood was sent to foreign parents back in London. So many orphans filled the world, on any side, people getting caught in the crossfires of the Men Eaters’ attacks…

Noticing from his darkening features that Remus was nurturing dark thoughts, Harriet grabbed his hand and squeezed it, hoping she could remind him that the dark years were almost over. No major attack had happened in the Muggle or magical world for such a long time. She was too young to worry about it, but she was worried. Her godfathers could be the next on _her_ list and she had always prayed that nothing befall them. There was nothing unnatural about Remus and Sirius’ love. She found it gross every now and then when they would go more lovey-dovey, but she mostly thought they were sweet. And she saw how happy they made each other. She would never understand homophobia.

“You think I should buy an owl? I could write to you every day.” She whispered to him excitedly.

“It would have to be a bird that can’t catch attention. How about a cat or…”

She almost hissed at the notion. For some reason, Harriet hated cats and all type of felines. They frightened her as a kid and she was still scared whenever she spotted one on the street.

“We’ll wait until we reach the shop and check what catch your interest. As long as you remember the responsibilities that come with it.”

She nodded, mimicking his serious intonation as she motioned her lips without uttering a single sound. That made him smile, although he retorted by tickling her. They almost missed their stop and hurriedly walked into Tom’s pub, Harriet walking closer to Remus with the more people she saw. She was a little shy around the pub. Tom ruffled her hair and nodded to her father, offering him something to drink.

“Later maybe, Tom. We’re here on school business today.”

A few congratulations resounded around the pub. James Potter had been greatly loved and Harriet being his daughter, she was usually received with the same attention by the wizards following the most modern ways. The Men Eaters and their supporters on the contrary never sympathized with victims of she-who-had-no-name. It was those people that Harriet shied away from and she knew she might meet some of them on her way through Diagon Alley.

To her surprise, they met Lily Evans and Neville Longbottom after collecting Harriet’s books and cauldron. Lily looked radiant as ever and smiled widely as she noticed the young girl and her father.

“Remus, Harriet, it’s so good to see you both!”

“Aunt Lily!”

“Is that Neville? You’ve certainly grown since last time,” Remus observed.

Longbottom was a lanky young man, all nerves and bones. He trained a lot in sports, wishing to be part of the Wrestomb team of his house at Hogwarts. Wrestomb was all the rage, with wizards and witches competing against each other in different tasks, from magical wrestling to spellcasting duels, from broom racing to creature taming. First year couldn’t join the teams unless they were already quite trained and Neville had had all the support he needed from Lily to nurture big dreams. He was really self-conscious and a bit shy around Harriet, but the young girl never minded it. Neville had a traumatic background, with his whole family being killed only for opposing you-know-who’s terrible work. He could have been a lot quieter and awkward then he was.

“Wow, did you finally put on some muscles?” Harriet teased him.

He blushed, but still managed to retort without a single stutter.

“At our age, it’s not as easy as you’d think.”

Harriet shrugged her shoulders. She liked watching Wrestomb competitions, but she knew turning her small frame into anything strong was preposterous. Whenever she got herself in trouble, her wits were her allies.

“Did you already got yourself a wand?” she asked Neville.

Their respective tutors were chatting together, Lily asking subtly if her latest wolfbane’s potion had done the trick. Sometimes, her ingredients weren’t from prime quality and she always worried about her friend’s condition.

“It was perfect, as always. How about going to Ollivander together? I think those young wizards are going to burst with excitement.”

They went on with their shopping as a group, getting smiles and greetings at most if not every turns. Lily Evans, though a well-known adversary of you-know-who, was literally adored by the magical community. Teaching potions at Hogwarts ever since the Men Eaters went less active, she also gave lessons to adult wizards during the summer for potion making. She had managed a few discoveries, the most renown being the vampire’s bite remedy. The name was still being voted while the potion was evaluated for any hidden potencies or side effects. Lily had been hoping to find something else, evidently, but the result was still good, although vampires were rare in Britain.

Ollivander seemed flustered to meet Harriet Potter, remembering her father James quite well. The wands were tried one after the other, Neville getting chosen by a sturdy willow wand imbued with a dragon’s ventricle. The choice seemed harder for Harriet. Most of the wands barely reacted to her touch and when they did, it was either raining or storming inside the boutique. After half an hour, as hope started leaving her heart, Ollivander tried a wand he’d never wished to sell. It had a phoenix’s tail for its core, and alder wood that was a light brown, contrary to the darker tones of Neville’s wand.

“Maybe… maybe my magic isn’t made for wands as a catalyst. I’ve read that…”

Harriet almost refused to touch the new wand. The old man looked so reluctant to see her try it. Remus gave her a warm smile and Lily cheered her, while Neville pulled a face at her explanation.

“You’re a special witch, Harriet. It would only be fitting that you’d get a special wand.”

She gulped down, noticing how her breathing had slowed as she reached out for the wand.

“I don’t think I can get this place any wetter,” she sighed.

Ollivander didn’t share her opinion, but he kept his thoughts to himself, handing her the wand.

Harriet felt something different this time. Unlike the earlier uneasiness, this wood, this wand was like an extension to her hand. It felt familiar, although it couldn’t be. She waved it gently and bubbles of soap appeared in front of her, exuding a breath of salty, marine air. Her eyes teared up as if a hole, a void had just been filled in her soul.

“A wand made in foreign lands by my grand-father himself. It seems to be a perfect match, miss Potter.”

“Is it normal that I feel… so connected to it?”

He nodded while Remus looked worried.

“Would you mind telling us why you were so hesitant of taking this particular wand out of its box?”

“I never intended to sell it… It’s a work of art. And the phoenix that gave a feather for it… wasn’t your typical phoenix. His flames were blue, the harshest, coldest flames ever seen in this world.”

The familiarity of the wand suddenly felt wrong to Harriet. And the bubbles turned to snowflakes, as the whole room lost its warmth.

“Do I really need a wand?” she asked, looking up to her father.

Remus hesitated.

“It chose you.” The vendor quickly said, sorry to have burdened a young girl with his doubts. “It’s meant to be. A wand should be used after all. I’m glad you could find the right wand in my shop.”

Ollivander still seemed shaken and Harriet promised herself to make research over blue flames phoenix. She’d never heard of it before, but it seemed to mean something more to every adult in the room. Lily tried to cheer the cold atmosphere by taking the kids to the menagerie. It worked, with owls, rats, cats and all kind of peculiar living things roaming the place, either in cages or directly on the floor. Harriet instinctively avoided the felines, wondering if any kind of bird could be normal enough for Remus’ taste. Neville argued with Lily about the pros and cons of frogs and other amphibians.

“They’re mostly cold-blooded. They would be high maintenance and little…”

“Oh my god, daddy, this one, do you see this one?!”

Lupin had stayed close to the doors, most animals being wary of him. He could see Harriet’s back as she jumped in front of a small cage, but not the subject of her attention. He reluctantly walked up to her and blinked in surprise at the sight of the…

“A dog?”

“They say it’s a dwarf wolf. He’ll never grow much bigger than this.”

The little tuft of red fur had bright blue eyes and a dark muzzle. He certainly didn’t weight anymore than 10 pounds and was just bigger than usual puppies.

“It says that they can deliver messages just like owls. And from the ground, he would be less noticeable.”

“With red fur like that?”

“But he’s adorable, dad, please!”

 The dwarven wolf raised itself on all four, its tail wagging at the prospect of being adopted. It gave a bark and Remus realized that this could actually piss off Sirius, while he found it quite endearing.

“You’ll feed her?”

“Of cours... What do you mean her?”

“I can tell it’s a female. And you’ll train her too?”

Harriet couldn’t help but smile.

“I swear I will, she’ll be a good girl, I’m sure.”

A vendor approached them with a knowing smile.

“I think this must have been love at first sight. I’ve never seen her so excited.” She observed, talking about the small wolf.

“I hope this will be lasting love and not just a spur of the moment decision.” Remus added, wanting to warn his daughter one last time.

“I’m not taking this lightly, I know it’s a big responsibility, but if I can look after myself for the next year at school, I’d better be able to look after one sweet thing like her.”

On the other side of the boutique, Lily was buying a ferret howl to Neville. As their vendor took the red wolf out of her cage, Remus reached one hand out to her. He wasn’t sure how the animal would react to him and Harriet knew it was a big part of his decision. But the dwarf wolf didn’t cower or looked away. It leaned into the touch, licking the fingers scraping its fur. Only a few creatures had been this trusting with the werewolf.

“I think it’s decided then. How are you going to name her?”

“That’s an hard one. I was so sure that you were a male at first.” Harriet admitted, taking the cub in her arms.

Neville and Harriet played a naming game for their new pet, both denying the various ideas the other would voice. Robes were fitted for and magically sown. Soon enough, it was time to get back home and exchange their goodbyes. Harriet was somewhat reluctant to leave. Neville was one of her only friends, the Muggles in her neighborhood either avoiding her because she was the weird girl at school or because she had two dads and no mother. As she sat in the bus next to the window, she heaved a sigh, keeping her pup in her arms.

“She might be an Echo, what do you think?” she asked Lupin.

“Where did you get the idea?”

“I wanted something that didn’t sound Latin.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about young girl. You must be tired after all this running around… Why don’t you take a nap?”

“I’m not a little girl anymore. It takes a lot more than…”

A long yawn interrupted her and Harriet felt a slight blush burning up in her cheeks. Her father simply wrapped one arm around her shoulders, refraining from gloating. Echo cuddled up to her, and she leaned her head against Lupin’s chest. Soon, her eyelids felt too heavy and she fell asleep. Sirius had always joked that her werewolf’s father’s ability to sleep anywhere had come down on her, although it made little sense.

Just as they were reaching their town, Remus was taken aback from the scenery by a silver dog running in the air. It hadn’t been there a second ago and he had been too unfocused to determine which direction it was coming from. It was a patronus, one he knew well. The apparition went through the bus and rushed into him, Sirius’ voice echoing in his mind.

“There’s been a major attack at the ministry. Do not come home. Keep her safe.”

A sense of dread permeated his bones. This hadn’t happened in years. He went through a few options as he counted the stops between them and their home. He barely had the money for one night in some cheap motel. Apparating with Harriet would surely traumatize her, despite her curiosity. She was still so young, and her dwarf wolf could panic. He wished for an untraceable mode of locomotion, but magical or not, there were few.

He waited until the bus ride was one town away to shake Harriet awake. She blinked, yawned and barely contained a yell of surprise as she realized that they’d missed their stop.

“Have you been sleeping too?”

“Sweetheart, there’s a change of plan,” he replied. “I need you to trust me for now.”

He gave her a look they had exchanged many times before, a look that warned her about imminent dangers. Usually, it meant he was about to shift into his werewolf form or that Lily was bringing her friend Snape to dinner. Right now, it created a lump in Harriet’s throat. Did something happen to Padfoot? Or the house? She nodded in understanding, stroking Echo’s fur.

That night, they booked a small room at some random hotel, Remus being careful about everything he did and said. It wasn’t until they were alone in their room and he’d casted a dozen protective spells that he accepted to give her details.

“I’m sure Sirius is fine.” He started, sounding as calm as he could in the circumstances. “There’s been a major attack and he didn’t feel safe knowing we’d walk back home. We might have been compromised somehow. I’ve sent a patronus to a few trusted friends and we should have more information in the morning, if…”

Before that he could finish his sentence, there was a bang in the back of the room and Echo was barking angrily at the aggression, while Harriet whirled around to see a fireplace materializing in the wall.

Lupin raised his wand in defense, although he had a suspicion that their visitor didn’t have any ill intentions. When green flames erupted in the fire place and let a tall but slim shadow erupt into the room, Remus lowered his wand, although he kept Harriet right next to him. The dwarf wolf paused in her barking, before to sniff the air, as if she didn’t trust her instincts anymore.

“Remus, I’m sorry for barging in unannounced, but measures must be taken swiftly.”

Dumbledore, Hogwarts’ headmaster and currently-on-the-run venerable teacher, walked into the dim light cast by a few oil lamps, his purple robe making him look surreal. Harriet had met him once and only from afar, because the old wizard was reluctant of exposing anyone to the dangers of his company. The man had braided his long beard and was carrying his wand in his wrinkled hands, his blue eyes glinting with a smile that didn’t reach his face. Being on the run tended to change people and Dumbledore looked older –an achievement considering his hundreds and a few years- and a bit dirty, twigs and leaves completing his attire. Harriet noticed he was missing a shoe but decide to keep her observation to herself.

“The attack…!” 

“…was pretty serious, I must admit. She-without-a-name has targeted the prime minister of England from the Muggle world. No one managed to get to him in time and he was killed in front of the royal family and a hundred journalists.”

Remus paled at the news. You-know-you was a vindictive witch, with a terrible case of homophobia and misandry. Any sign of machoism could get a man killed, not to mention that patriarchy was close to number one cause of violent magic deaths in Britain in the recent years.

 “Did we manage to…”

Dumbledore shook his head approvingly.

“The secret still is, but our world was almost exposed this afternoon. She’s growing more reckless than ever.”

“But I thought it was over,” Harriet interfered in the discussion. “She hadn’t attacked anyone in the ten last years.”

“Because you were better not knowing about it, dear miss Potter. She-who-must-not-be-named has been conducting a few idealist vendettas around the world. She just got back to England recently.”

Remus frowned, realizing that Harriet might be too young yet to be exposed to such cold realities.

“If there’s any more you want to say about you-know-who, Dumble…” he started on a protective tone.

“Of course not, Lupin. I’m here to take you somewhere safe.”

Harriet was ready to protest, but Dumbledore quickly explained himself.

“Since your house has been ransacked by Men Eaters, the Order assumed that your relationship to Sirius Black has been exposed. So we’ll need to separate you two for a few months to misguide our enemies.”

Lupin could tell Harriet was mad by now, he was pretty much angry himself but there was nothing he could do about it. Sirius had already gone on the run and this was surely the solution he’d come up with.

“Where are we going?” The werewolf asked.

“I’ll tell you as soon as we’ll be there.”

The fire was still green behind them and Harriet quickly gathered Echo in her arms, a dreadful feeling settling in her heart. She had said a simple goodbye to Padfoot this morning. Now it looked like she wasn’t going to see him anytime soon. He might be killed out there, without her even knowing. She wanted to kick and yell and protest, but she could tell her father needed her to cooperate right now. Being mature was the sensible thing to do, although she was scared of being caged in some faraway cave and find herself home tutored by Lupin for the rest of her days. What was you-know-who’s darn problem?!

To be continued…


	2. Where to hide a werewolf and a turtle

Harriet discovered her new home in the morning, after a short night of tossing and turning in a bed that felt too soft, too wide and far too foreign. If it hadn’t been for Echo, who had fallen into a blissful sleep, the young girl might have never closed her eyes. Dumbledore had used the floo system, but without telling any destination when he leaped into the fire place. Lupin was just as lost as her, but he kept a reassuring smile on, trusting Albus Dumbledore. After all, someone who had survived for so long while being pursued by you-know-who had to be strong and trustworthy. There had been some heated discussion about her at some point and the young girl did the only thing she could to ignore it. She transformed into her turtle form, focusing on Echo, hoping the dwarf wolf wouldn’t panic. Echo seemed puzzled and then amazed. She was a very curious cub and Harriet wasn’t disappointed when she proved out to be a nice bath buddy. Being a turtle animagus meant she couldn’t exactly play with anyone outside of water. Echo was happy swimming and splashing in the tube, which meant Harriet could forget the outside world and her worries about Padfoot. What if he got hurt or worse…killed?!

It was no surprise that she had big dark bags beneath her eyes in the morning, almost mimicking Lupin’s usual expression. Dumbledore had left after his dispute with Lupin had gotten so loud that even as a turtle, Harriet had managed to grasp a few things.

“My daughter won’t be some bait to help you win the war you started, Albus.”

“Harriet isn’t yours and one day, this decision will be hers to make. This isn’t about winning, Remus, but about protecting innocent people.”

“She’s not eleven years old yet!”

“Disguising her would only arose suspicion. She’ll go under her real name and will be trained by our best teachers to face…”

The rest was muffled by the water in her ears when Echo pushed her under, getting impatient of seeing her unmoving. The rest was only conjecture on her part. But if her father had mentioned using her as bait, it had to be because she would be of interest to the-woman-without-name. After all, _she_ had killed James Potter and Harriet was the last Potter left alive in the wizarding world. Before that sleep claimed her, Harriet reflected if she should try to find out the truth about her father’s dead. Considering no grown-up had managed to do so in the eleven last years, her chances looked slim. But she couldn’t be caught unaware. Sirius and Remus had already taught her a few things about magic and facing the dark arts. No doubt, Severus Snape, Lily’s almost boyfriend, and the teacher of the defense against the dark arts would put her to the test once she started school.

_I should revise some self-defence with Neville and silent magic if I can. Better be safe than sorry._

In the morning, Harriet was surprised to discover Hogsmeade right out the window. They were situated at the back of a street, in a cottage of stones and wood. The floor creaked with every step you took, there wasn’t any electricity, unlike their house in the Muggle neighborhood –not that Sirius really got around to use electricity, unlike Remus and Harriet- and their fire had to burn most of the year to keep the inside of the house warm.

“How are we safe in here?” she dared ask her father.

Harriet had thought that on her first step out of the fire place, but didn’t dare to say it in front of Dumbledore. The man wasn’t known as temperamental, but she had heard some rumors here and there, mostly from Padfoot, that the headmaster was subject to sudden outbursts if things didn’t go his way. He had been more amiable in the past and mostly remained that way, but running from your family – he missed his sister’s wedding and a lot of other things according to Sirius- didn’t help his patience.

“Well, you have a lot of trust in your father’s abilities to protect you.” Remus teased her.

She paled slightly. The last thing she’d want was to hurt her father. She could be self-centered every now and then, she wasn’t eleven yet after all, but she knew how self-doubting the werewolf could be.

“I never meant…”

“I know. We’re almost neighbours with Lily and Neville by living here. And once you’ll be studying at Hogwarts, you’ll still be able to visit on the weekends instead of waiting for Christmas or Easter.”

“It’s lovely, dad, but…”

“You heard our discussion last night, didn’t you?”

She gave a nod, looking down at her feet. Echo was running around the room, exploring eagerly. Harriet remembered she hadn’t given her food yet and hurried herself in this task, anything to somehow fill the uneasy silence.

The kitchen was also the living room and dining room. There were two bedrooms, one bathroom and an attic that surely was dark and spooky. Harriet thought she’d like making potions in that kind of ambiance, but Lupin was clearing his throat and took her back to yesterday.

“Sirius is still alive. That’s all we know for now. I can’t tell you when we’ll see him again, or if he’ll show up before that you need to go to Hogwarts. And to talk to you about my exchange with Dumbledore, I need to know what you heard.”

“He wants me to be some bait for you-know-who. And you disagreed strongly.”

“Of all the things you could… Harriet, do you realize what that could mean?”

“Maybe I could learn stuff about my mother. Or I might also get killed. Although I’ve never done anything to go against misandry or whatever she-who-must-not-be-named is into.”

“Sweet turtle bug.” He sighed, saddened that she could state this so easily. But the situation didn’t permit for much cuddling. Cuddling her and hiding the truth could mean her death and he wouldn’t lose her like he lost James. He wrapped her in his arms and she hugged him back, realizing she just might cry if she didn’t hold it in. When had she gotten this scared? In the span of the last twelve hours, really? “We’ll get answers, in time. This will take some getting use to, but we’re still a family. And you’re still safe.”

He didn’t mention himself but Harriet knew she shouldn’t push it. She couldn’t ask for a normal life. She didn’t want a normal life. But she already missed Sirius and could tell that Remus did too. She needed both of her fathers. And although her birthday was coming and with it the start of her first wizarding school year, she didn’t exactly felt excited. There was one ominous cloud hanging over her head. Over every of them.

…

Words on the streets were that a new girl had just moved in town. And it was Harriet Potter, nothing less! Harriet had never lived among other wizards. And she knew that she was close to a celebrity, as James Potter’s mysterious daughter. But the stares of everyone in Hogsmeade really got on her nerves. She was already stressed out. She took Echo out for a walk in the morning and in the afternoon, trying to get her bearings. Remus had accompanied her on her first look at Hogsmeade, earning blank looks that infuriated the young girl. But he had explained how he fitted in around wizards and witches. He was an outsider and that meant people wouldn’t care about him. To turn heads, you had to be from a renown family or to have accomplished something amazing already. A few people remembered him when he was still a student himself, which meant he had either their sympathy or indifference. If he had been Sirius Black, it would have been different. The Black were a wealthy and pure blooded family. They were pretty much in shambles right now, with one daughter imprisoned in Azkaban by her cousin, Sirius himself, the other married to the infamous Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy was known for dealing with dark magic and he was among the targets of you-know-who, running just like Dumbledore, but for different reasons than those of the headmaster as the telltales insisted.

…

“So… Which house are you aiming for?”

“Aiming? I’ll take what I get. It doesn’t really matter to me.” Harriet retorted.

Neville’s eyes widened to the size of tea cups.

“But you’re the daughter of James Potter. And if that wasn’t enough,” he lowered his voice to add : “both of your surrogate fathers are from Gryffindor! That’s a lot of pressure. My grandmother ghost appeared last night and warned me that if I wasn’t sorted in Gryffindor…!”

“You should throw salt at her. It’s rude to interrupt people’s dream and she’s been haunting you for years.”

They were walking in a field next to the village, the young girl keeping an eye on her dwarf wolf while Neville’s flying ferret was roaming the sky with pure delight.

“I don’t really mind it anymore. But you didn’t answer my question Harriet. You must have one house you want to go to!”

She tried to focus on her steps, the wind blowing in her face, the sun that was hiding behind clouds. Her birthday had been pretty much eventless, spent with Lily, Neville and her werewolf of a father, without any new word over Sirius. They would be going to Hogwarts in less then a week now and she wasn’t sure if she was ready anymore. She was looking forward to it as a diversion, but she’d rather know that Remus wouldn’t be left alone in their creaking house.

“I need to learn as mush as I can. I’ve been trying to find some books, but the library is pretty restricted in Hogsmeade. I guess Ravenclaw might be nice, but I’m not sure…”

“But if you’re not in Gryffindor, we won’t see each other as much. We will have to compete for house cup and…”

Neville looked alarmed and almost missed a step.

“Who says I’ll earn my house any points? I might end up in Slytherin.”

If she was honest with herself, she wanted to do a lot of things. She was curious and according to History of Hogwarts, Slytherin was for the daring and the curious of heart.

“You wouldn’t! You know they all turn to the dark arts.”

“Isn’t Snape from Slytherin?” she teased him.

Sometimes, she would go as far as saying that Snape was his “almost” father and Neville would lose all composure.

“He certainly is! And I don’t like him one b..bit!”

“But aunt Lily likes him. Although I have no idea why...”

They laughed and Neville accepted to let it go. But he would still wonder until the fateful day of the sorting ceremony. Remus didn’t care for the house where Harriet would go, as long as she would be safe and able to make friends like he did when he was her age. On their way back, the young teenagers were met by a dark figure that seem to be lurking among the streets. Neville squared his shoulders and Harriet thought of the few self-defence moves they had practiced during the last few days. Snape looked displeased to say the least.

“Lily has been looking everywhere for the both of you. It’s getting late.” The dark arts teacher explained simply before to turn around on his heels.

He expected to be followed and Neville complied, knowing what was in for him if he didn’t. Snape wasn’t exactly mean, but he wasn’t exactly nice either. Harriet still wondered what she could have done except for being her father’s daughter to inspire so much disgust. The dark haired man barely looked at her and never once talked directly to her, unless coerced to do so by Lily. The relationship of those two was weird, at least to Harriet. 

Sirius had told her that as teenagers, they had turned around each other for a long time, until Severus upped and left Lily hanging. When he resurfaced, half dead, she nursed him back to health, but they remained simply friends for years, both scarred in their own ways by she-who-must-not-be-named. Severus Snape had been flirting with Lily Evans for years, but they had started a serious relationship only eight months ago. Harriet could tell it was the same kind of love that linked Remus and Sirius. But it felt a lot more gross.

Lily had organized a party to celebrate the start of school, making up a feast for the kids. The only other person invited was Dudley Dursley, Lily’s nephew, who had received a letter for Hogwarts to his own parents’ surprise. Neville had told Harriet to be careful around Dudley. Lily never talked about her family, entirely Muggle except for her, and it seemed that she hoped to exploit the fact Dudley was gifted with magic to renew with her family. Her sister had always been jealous of her and the very fact Petunia would let her son around his aunt or other magicians was the greatest step to healing.

Harriet was shocked to discover a fat boy with baby blue eyes and fingers like sausages. He wasn’t too fat, but he’d clearly abused of everything fat and sweet. He eyed the table with hungry eyes but claimed that he was starting a diet.

“I need to prove to father that wizard’s sports is as good as football. The vids you sent me were awesome.” He told Lily, who couldn’t help herself but smiled.

“Those weren’t vids but books.” Neville observed, having chosen the ones to send. “So you’re aiming to join a Wrestomb team?” Neville asked excitedly.

“If I can find a spell to get faster and lose a few pounds fast enough to join the qualifications,” Dudley joked.

Snape clearly held back a comment, not trusting the boy as much as Lily did. What normal 11-year-old could laugh of himself so easily?

“That’s not fair!” Harriet exclaimed. “Neville trained hard the whole year.”

“I’m taking pointers from him. I know the qualifications are late in October. If I’m serious, I can surely make it!”

“Only a handful of first years are drafted for the teams,” Severus warned the excited boys, before to be elbowed by Lily.

“Don’t you crush those children dreams. Or I’ll make sure that no new Slytherins are drafted and you could use some new blood.”

That lighted a fire in Severus’ dark eyes, but he plastered a snarky smile on his face, which was less pale than it used to.

“We’ll see about that, dear.”

Harriet shook her head. The fact she already knew two of her teachers meant life would be harder for her at school. Snape would make sure to be harsher with Neville and her just to prove he wasn’t making it easier for people he knew. He had promised so to her friend and she knew he would be true to his words. Not that she minded. She didn’t want shortcuts or chances. She was a brilliant young girl and she would show it to everyone, with her own wits and abilities.

“You already know about the houses at Hogwarts, Dudley?” Neville asked him.

“It seems that there’s so much to know. I’ve had my letter only in July… Is it wrong if I’m not in Gryffinden auntie?”

“Of course not, Duddy. Although it’s Gryffindor.” She couldn’t help herself but correct him on her house. After all, she was the head of house for Gryffindor, while Snape was in charge of Slytherin, Flitwick taking care of Ravenclaw and Sprout looking after Hufflepuff. “You’ll make a great wizard, no matter which house you join.”

He smiled eagerly at that and Lily looked so happy, Harriet was convinced that she had to be nice to Dudley Dursley, although his name was weird and she didn’t understand why he threw glances at her every now and then. Unless… She had forgotten about the Veela’s blood. He had never been exposed to it in his life! And other kids at Hogwarts wouldn’t either! How come she hadn’t thought of it before?

…

“I need a spell! A hiding or reducing spell. To remove the Veela’s charm.”

Remus had rarely seen his daughter as panicked. He was slightly unfocused, thanks to a letter from a fellow werewolf. He thought his secret was safe, but it seemed a few families knew. He pushed the worries aside for the moment.

“You think we wouldn’t have come up with something before if it was possible? There’s only a hint of their power on you anyway.”

“You didn’t see how Dudley looked at me.” She retorted.

“Actually, I did. I’m your father. I’m all eyes for this sort of things. And I think you got yourself an admirer.”

She grimaced, which simply made Remus laugh. Dudley couldn’t pose any threat to her. His magic was potent, but all the new things would make her Veela’s charm seem so small and ordinary. He told her as much.

“But… But I don’t want that kind of attention. If it wasn’t enough that I’m a Potter, I have to be part Veela too. I mean, what kind of man even have kids with…”

“I won’t hear you badmouthing your father, young girl!”

“But Dad!”

Echo barked in agreement and Lupin sighed before to glare at the cub. She lowered her ears and tail in submission, before to whine at Harriet’s feet.

“Now you’re playing the alpha with Echo. That’s not fair. I’m just concerned about stuff I shouldn’t even be concerned about!”

“Turtledove, you’re stressed out about going to Hogwarts. It’s perfectly normal.”

But she didn’t feel normal! And still, could she really throw this in his face? He was a wolf. A lone wolf, isolated from his partner, soon to be parted from her too. She was going to miss him, even if he was so close. Snape had warned her that she might not have the right to visit Hogsmeade on every weekend, Potter or not. It wasn’t before third years that kids could go out of the castle’s ground and only a handful of students had been residents.

“I think I just got the thing to take your mind off tomorrow.”

She frowned but followed Remus to the fireplace, where he sat down. She sat in his lap, despite the fact he was close to his next shift and preferred to avoid contact at that time of the month. Echo jumped in her own lap and they ended up as a big hug of wolf and human, before that the fire came to life, revealing Sirius’ face.

“Oh, I’m so jealous.” He roared in a barking laugh. “Who’s that dog? Have I been replaced already?”

“Padfoot!” Harriet exclaimed.

“You weren’t introduced to Echo yet. She’s Harriet’s dwarf wolf.”

Echo raised her ears and nodded, hanging her tongue, amused by the talking fire.

“There’s so much I got to tell you, dad! Where have you been?” Harriet pressed him.

“A little everywhere. I missed you, baby girl. I hope you’re all doing well. You weren’t too hard on Remus, were you?”

“As if I could be. What have you been up to?”

“Tracking bad guys. Chasing crazed woman. I might have to arrest my other cousin if I can get proof against her. But enough about me. Are we excited to go to school?”

Harriet hesitated. She was excited deep down, but then again, she was worried.

“You don’t think all the boys will be ogling because of my Veela’s blood?”

“If they are, you jinx them. Jinx them anyway, that’s what school years are for!”

“Sirius!” Lupin protested.

“Oh, right. No jinx. Go straight for curse, turtledove. And I sure hope you won’t try to swim in the lake. The giant squid could try and eat you!”

“Squids don’t live in lakes.”

“And sea turtles don’t take baths with bubbles and soap, but who am I to comment one’s habit?” Lupin reminded her.

They shared a laugh that fixed a bit the hole that had been left in Harriet’s heart on the day Sirius had vanished. But looking at his face in the flames, she couldn’t help but still be worried. Standing in the flames like this, wouldn’t he risk getting burn himself?

To be continued…


	3. Sorted and doomed

The ride to the castle had gone by in a flash. Dudley, Harriet and Neville were alone in their compartment and they were the last in the row of boats going over the lake. While Dudley marvelled at the sights of the castle, Neville was gazing at the stars and Harriet stroked the water with the palm of her hand. The lake was beautiful. Since Sirius had mentioned swimming in it, the idea had been obsessing her. Lupin had been adamant; she was not to take any risk or to go against any rules. The school might be the safest place in the world, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t get hurt. Or killed. She knew a few students had died. What did they expect, teaching magic to people from 11 to 17 years old in the same magic castle?

She was ushered among the other kids her age, anonymous among them. Her short hair made her look boyish and Hagrid greeted her with a “champ” that made her smile. This wouldn’t last. The sorting ceremony would make sure that she had a name that would surprise everyone. At least, there would be people that might not know James Potter. It wasn’t as if Potter was such an uncommon name among the Muggles. She shook her head, reminding herself that she wouldn’t miss her Muggle school. She could be what she was meant to be here, a witch. But still, the knot in her stomach tightened.

Lily welcomed them in the hall, her green eyes finding Harriet almost instantly.

“Please follow me, First Years.”

They were about forty kids in first years. All pointy hats and clean, new robes. Their feet shuffled behind professor Evans. She would have to name her professor Evans, not aunt Lily. That could be tough. Slips of the tongue were so common.

The doors opened on the Great Hall, where four seemingly unending tables were representing every house. Hufflepuff on one side, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor in the middle, with Slytherin on the other side. They walked between the central tables, Harriet wondering if she could spot anyone she knew. But she knew so few persons in the wizarding world when they weren’t grown-ups. A platine blond girl missed a step in front of her and they almost toppled on the floor together, only to be catch by both Neville and Dudley.

“Sorry,” the girl whispered.

She had round eyes and a small cute nose that gave her a permanent surprised look. Neville blushed while Harriet took back her arm, not sure if she liked the idea Dudley had helped her. He seemed thinner already, his hands a lot more normal. She wondered if he had sneaked a spell or a potion from Lily’s safe room.

Soon enough, they had reached the front row and a middle-aged woman stood up from the headmistress place at the professors’ table. Her hair was tied in a severe bun and she looked just as severe herself. Minerva McGonagall, the headmistress-by-interim of Hogwarts. Unless the ministry of magic decided to officially replace Dumbledore, who hadn’t been around the school for the last fifteen years or so.

“Greetings to our First Years.” She said simply before to motion for Lily to proceed.

Conjuring a list of names out of thin air, professor Evans called the first child. The sorting hat was waiting on the chair put on display. One by one, the excited or fearful children were called and sorted. Dudley was sorted to Hufflepuff and looked delighted.  He might have been delighted by any house at this point.

Neville and Harriet exchanged a glance. They wouldn’t follow Dudley if they could get into any other house. There was nothing wrong with Hufflepuff, simply put, there was very little famous about it. The platinum blond girl was named Luna Lovegood and was sent to Ravenclaw while Longbottom was sorted to Gryffindor. Harriet exchanged a raised thumb with him, happy that his grand-mother might stop haunting him. Her name was called just after Draco Malfoy, who now belonged to Slytherin. Harriet barely sat down before to hear the voice in her head.

“Interesting mix, young girl. Very interesting. You’re brave, but mostly looking to prove your worth. And that ambition. I think Slytherin would be good for you.”

Harriet pinched her lips. Slytherin? With head of house Snape? And that snarky boy, Malfoy was it?

“Would you prefer another house Potter?”

“I don’t know. Is it truly that different, being in one house or another?”

“It doesn’t have to be. And you will learn in Slytherin. Why don’t you trust this old hat?”

She nodded, forgetting herself – how could she know if the talking hat could see her or not?- and the hat declared with a booming voice:

“Slytherin.”

The first thing Harriet noticed was the expression on Lily’s face. She looked stunned. McGonagall had to say her name for Evans to go on for the following kids. And then the silence. Deafening silence. Murmurs. James Potter had been a Gryffindor. His entire family too. And now his daughter, the mysterious Harriet was turning her back on his heritage. She walked to the Slytherin table, eying Snape despite her better judgement. The man was… glaring at her? She blinked and looked away, not realizing that she had mistook his own surprise for hatred. Snape had still trouble expressing emotions, not that everyone knew except from Lily.

Malfoy clapped with the other Slytherins.

“Sit here, Potter. That’s a good change, that you’d join us.”

She sat next to him, but didn’t like his tone. She started filling her plate, trying not to picture Sirius’ reaction. Would her fathers think she was rebelling? This wasn’t what this was about. She wanted to prove a point here, that she wasn’t only a Potter. James Potter hadn’t been in her life, not that she could remember and he didn’t define her.

“Are you ignoring me, Potter?”

Damn that boy.

“The name’s Harriet.” She replied.

“Fine, Harriet. I’m Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.”

“Your father is still alive?”

Draco blanched and a few fellow students snickered.

“Is that concern or mockery?” he asked, his voice colder.

“I’m serious, Draco. I’ve heard he was running and since things are looking bad, I was wondering. You should worry about what really matters instead of acting proud like a peacock.”

She hadn’t meant to be this cold, hadn’t realize just how far she was going with this line of thought. But her own father was out there, maybe in danger right now. She couldn’t understand how someone living in a similar situation could just go over it and prance around.

“You’re pretty down to earth for a girl,” observed a brown haired teenager. “You might think about joining the Wrestomb team.”

“With my size?” She laughed and it seemed that she was welcomed for now, although Draco was eying her with contempt.

She wasn’t sure if she should apologize, but focused on the food for the moment. When the feast was over, the prefect in chef walked up to the first years and ushered them toward the dungeons. There were two other girls sharing her dorms, Pansy Parkinson, who clearly wasn’t impressed with the way she treated her hair, the other one looking so green in the face, Harriet was worried she could collapse at any moment.

Not feeling ready to sleep, Harriet walked back into the common room, already wondering if she’d made the right decision. There was no window, only a large fire place and stones alcoves to study if you didn’t sit in the futons. People were telling each other about their summer while Draco talked to the two other first years of their house, Crabe and Goyle. It was when she spotted the books lined up in shelves on the entrance wall that she felt her spirit lifting up. She went to study the shelves and noticed a book about magical creatures that wasn’t among Remus’ extensive collection.

She sat right on the floor, immersing herself in the book, just to be interrupted ten pages later.

“You’re not already studying, are you, Harriiiiet?”

Draco took a plaintive voice, clearly aiming to annoy her. She decided to settle for ignoring him. If she had wanted to apologize earlier, he wasn’t helping his cause. There was a name among this, written in purple, _epipholia subtilia_ … She couldn’t focus since Malfoy insisted:

“Seems she is. She might have been better off in Ravenclaw.”

“Not an hour ago, you were happy I joined the Slytherins. You should make up your mind. Or I’ll have to determine you’re just trying to get my attention.”

It might be about the Veela’s blood. But she didn’t want to think about this. Her hair was too short to look pretty. She didn’t want to be pretty.

“You must be deluded.”

Goyle screw his brows, trying to remember the meaning of deluded.

“I’m trying to read here.”

And she wouldn’t go trap herself in her dorm just to make him happy. It would be conceding him the territory or something and she couldn’t start her first year by letting some bossy kid step all over her.

“I have a piece of advice for you, Potter. Just because your father died doesn’t mean you can do as if everyone else is luckier than you.” He added on a lowered voice before to walk away.

That hit right on the spot, especially since Harriet had vowed to detach herself from her birth father a few minutes ago. If Remus and Sirius knew, they would be ashamed, because they had so much respect and love for James. But she couldn’t love what she didn’t know. The pictures never included her. The pictures never showed her the truth she wanted to see. There had been a secret, if not a hundred secrets about her real family. She kept her head down, the words on the pages barely visible. She wasn’t sad about James Potter’s death. She was merely one-year-old back then. She couldn’t remember anything but the pictures. She almost hated him for dying. Especially if there was no reason for dying. She should have hated she-without-a-name, but James had a name to hurl bad thoughts at. James was buried and couldn’t be hurt by her hate. James was gone and had left her behind with a name that turned heads and Veela’s blood but no mother. She waited a full hour before to get up, keeping the book, since she had barely gotten through a chapter. Malfoy smirked at her retreat, thinking he had won their little altercations.

He had no idea who he was going against.

…

“Miss Potter.” Snape asked at roll call.

Of course, they had to start with a class of defense against the dark arts! Harriet had started answering for her name when Malfoy declared:

“She only answers to Harriet, professor.”

There were a few laughs, but surely not as much as Draco had wanted, and Snape eyed the blond boy with indifferent eyes.

“5 points from Slytherin for disturbing class, Malfoy.”

This caused a lot more reaction than the boy’s remark. The class was with every first years, so people from each house were there and everyone knew that Snape almost never removed points from his house. Harriet herself was surprised. With a single glare from the teacher, the silence fell back and once roll call was over, Severus let his thin lips form a smile.

“As some of you may know, defense against the dark arts is something that cannot be learned. It must be experienced. The first chapter of your book goes over shielding spells and trap detection. I highly suggest not to fall behind in this class. Because the castle will be filled with traps befitting of your lessons to test your skills.”

A hand rose among the students, which Snape ignored as he went on about the trap detection spell.

“Professor Snape, you can’t be setting traps among the schools for every years of student following your class.”

“Oh but I am, miss Granger. Although the traps are supposed to detect your age and go according to your lessons. Our headmistress wouldn’t want any of you dead.”

He said that with such a straight face that Harriet felt cold shivers running through her spine.

“Is that even legal?” Hermione insisted.

“Since magicians all over the globe are facing dark magic and death on a daily basis, I would say that such a training won’t be enough to prepare you for what’s coming. If you interrupt me one more time, I’ll take 15 points from Ravenclaw instead of five.”

Granger looked angry but kept her hand and her voice down. Harriet focused on the lesson, wondering if the practical work Snape was orchestrating wasn’t his way of paying back the former students that had once made his life hell. Remus had given excuses to Snape on more than one occasion for a particular prank, although Sirius denied ever being involved in it and although Snape kept muttering that he didn’t care for excuses. The last thing Severus taught them as they left was that if they detected a trap correctly, it didn’t mean the trap turned ineffective. It was simply known. She had put a single foot outside the class, following the rest of the class, when the first incident occurred. A red haired boy, thin and lanky but somewhat muscular seemed to trip on his own feet and face-planted. It was when he tried to get back up that thing got complicated. He was glued to the floor.

“Damn, that was fast!” he growled.

“But if we get stuck, how do we get out? He taught us shield and detection only.” Goyle observed worriedly.

“Let me do it,” Granger intervened, walking up to Ron Weasley.

She had curly brown hair and dark eyes. If it wasn’t for her teeth that were a bit too far in the front, she would be a perfect beauty. She pointed her wand at Ron and tore him off the floor with a smacking sound.

“Did you just do silent magic?” Neville marvelled.

“Of course not. You just didn’t listen carefully enough,” she retorted cheekily.

Somehow, Harriet felt something close to pure wrath bursting in her heart. How dare she talk to her friend like that? _Who_ was that girl? Snape walked out the classroom and noticed the commotion, clearing his throat before observing coldly:

“Freeing yourself from traps is in Friday’s lesson. You should check next chapter and practice the spells in case you’re as unlucky as Weasley.”

He would have walked away if Granger hadn’t called after him:

“Professor, I’ve already learned it and mastered the spell. I’m the one who freed Weasley.”

“Really? And you did it in hope I’d give you points? Consider your homework done, Granger.”

He wasn’t exactly mocking, but his dark eyes were glowing with a menacing light. Snape didn’t like Granger either. With a flick of his cape, he turned away, leaving the shocked students behind him.

“I’ll show that pretentious teacher,” Hermione muttered.

She stormed off, only to be hurled to the ceiling after three steps, yelling madly. No one laughed, eyeing the floor cautiously. Even Malfoy looked pale now.

“He wasn’t joking around.” Neville sighed.

“At least, the traps are pretty much inoffensive for now.” Harriet tried to cheer him.

“Inoffensive? I almost broke my nose,” Ronald remarked.

“What do you think will happen when we’re third years?” she retorted. “Flower’s petals raining over your head? We’ll be fighting dragons before we know it.”

Ron raised one brow, a smirk growing on his face.

“Hey, your friend got some bite, Nev.”

She noticed that his canines were really sharp. Almost too big for his mouth. That wasn’t strange at all, or was it? A few of their classmates ventured after Snape, only to be caught in traps too, one being swallowed by a wall while most were simply glued to the walls or ceiling.

Harriet sat down on the spot and took out her book. She was going to be late to her botanic class, but she needed to learn the undoing spell first to make sure she got there in the first place. Neville did the same, while Ron complained that it would take too long.

“I’ll see how far I can get if I go by instinct!”

He ran past Hermione, laughing at her as she tried to pry her wand from the space between the ceiling and her body to wave it in the right way.

“You’re friend with the hot headed guy?”

“Ron is aiming for the Wrestomb team. And he’s pretty cool. You should have seen how many chocofrogs he could hold in his mou…”

She scrunched her nose, a vivid picture in her head where the frogs were moving and... Gross!

“That’s… impressive. I guess.”

The spell sounded hard and since they didn’t have a spell lessons yet, she was wondering if Snape wasn’t pushing them a little.

“I barely managed a shield when we practiced in class.” Neville sighed.

“We just have to put our mind to it. Do you understand the move?”

They worked it out together and managed a decent version of the spell on Granger, Neville begging her to rescue the other students before that they move to their new class. By the end of the day, every student could be seen, walking warily and casting spells every two minutes. Some got light headed, but the detection spell wasn’t taxing when done effectively and by the second day, Harriet had pretty much mastered it. She could pinpoint the traps, more or less precisely and she wasn’t thrown in a wall before that Goyle himself pushed her into it, at Malfoy’s request.

“I think it must be experienced first hand to be learned.” He told her, using Snape’s words.

“What the hell, Malfoy!”

Her shoulder was sore and her left cheek scratched.

“You think you can evade every trap? How are we supposed to see a difference if another student put a trap somewhere?”

She didn’t know if it was a threat or Malfoy being dramatic. He could jump from one thing to the next at a moment notice.

“The castle itself cannot be enchanted by students.” She told him. “And you’d better not attack me like that again.” She warned Goyle. “You’re not helping Draco, getting yourself in trouble in his stead.”

“Listen to that goody-two-shoes. You really don’t belong in Slytherins.”

“You think so?”

“I’ll prove it to you, Harriiiet.”

The week wasn’t done and she was officially enemy with Malfoy.

“We’ll see, Draco.”

To be continued…


	4. Wrestomb trials

The first class of transfiguration had been high in Harriet’s expectations. Being an animagus at such a young age, she thought transfiguring anything should be easy for her. So far, she wasn’t half bad in defense against the dark arts, botanic clearly wasn’t her strength, spellcasting was challenging but greatly rewarding and she managed to stay up during history of magic, which was more than even Malfoy could achieve. But McGonagall was clearly waiting for her.

“Transfiguration is a delicate art. For your first try at it, we’ll turn a tea cup into a die.”

The exercise seemed pointless, but Harriet heard Granger mentioning how easier it was to transfigure small things. McGonagall explained the principle of transfiguration, showed them the wand movement and had them repeat the wave of the wrist and complicated finger motion before to have them reciting the word with an exact pronunciation. When time finally came to practice, Harriet was impatient to see the result. She could already picture a porcelain die, with shiny numbers and a lot more than six faces. The transfiguration seemed to go nicely, she had followed the movement and every indication, but to her own shock, a white fish replaced the tea cup. A breathing, gasping fish.

“I need water!” she asked, afraid the fish could die. That caught the classroom’s attention. Granger scrunched her nose, her die all glittery and perfect in front of her. Harriet didn’t realise what was going on, grabbing a vase and throwing the spell Flitwick taught them the very morning, aguamenti, carefully placing the fish in the vase.

“What are you doing, miss Potter?”

“I…”

She finally noticed that everyone’s attention was on her.

“It seems my spell had… unexpected effects?” She tried, feeling her ears burning up as her white fish swam in his vase.

“We weren’t supposed to turn objects into living creature, but since miss Potter jumped to this subject, we’ll have a crash course. Can you tell me if your fish is really alive, miss Potter?”

She looked down at the fish, who blinked back at her. It had been a teacup a moment earlier, but she couldn’t deny how lively he looked. Granger’s hand shot up in the air, almost hitting Neville’s nose, who had been forced to take the place next to her.

“A lifeless object cannot turn into a living creature. This fish for example couldn’t be considered alive or dead. Magic gave him temporary life.”

“Perfectly said, Granger. 5 points for Ravenclaw. But the question was for you, miss Potter.”

“I don’t know what happened professor McGonagall.”

“Let’s try this another time, Potter. This cannot be considered like a total failure. Your teacup did change at least.”

The sarcasm beneath her words might be aimed at the other students who hadn’t manage to transform their teacup in anything, but Harriet still felt humiliated. McGonagall reverted her fish in a teacup, Harriet retrieved it from the vase and tried another time, with the entire class watching. The result was somewhat different, since her fish had die’s patterns on its white skin, but McGonagall didn’t seem please.

“I wouldn’t consider this progress, miss Potter. Transfiguration might not be for you. Not that I expected it to be.”

Harriet raised her eyes to the teacher, wounded by the harshness of her tone. Her ears were crimson and she hoped McGonagall would let her practice in peace, but the rest of the class was pretty much the same. The transfiguration teacher walked among the students, commenting their pronunciation or their wand waving, correcting a pause or a syllable, but all she offered Harriet was an exasperated look.

“A frog, miss Potter, really?” And later on: “Can I see fins on that die?”

Harriet had no idea why Minerva was so determined to make her look incompetent, despite the fact Dean Thomas had changed his teacup in a flashlight at least twice already. She kept her head high, feeling the ushered laughs in her back and the stares of every student on her work. Her last attempt was so close, she could have cried from relief, but McGonagall snatched her die, observing it like a contagious disease.

“Scales, miss Potter. It sounds like an obsession. Or maybe is that wand defective. Weasley’s wand is half broken and he still got better results.”

Harriet was pretty sure that her wand worked just fine. Otherwise, she would have trouble in every class. The class ended and she was about to walk out when McGonagall called her name. She shuffled back toward the teacher’s desk, fighting against the hot tears that threatened to fall.

“I know this wasn’t a very good first lesson,” she started, but the professor dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

“I just wanted to warn you, miss Potter. You might think that I was hard on you, but transfiguration is an art that can unravel its user if done carelessly. I know that you tried magic as you grew up, without a wand and sometimes without supervision. There’s a big difference between instinctive magic and what we do in a classroom. You might be an amazing witch in the making. But you have a long way to go.”

Harriet wanted to remind her that she was in her first year. That this had been her first class ever in transfiguration. She wanted to change into a turtle in front of her, to hide in her shell and show her just what she was capable of already. But instead, she gave a nod and turned back. Her bag had never felt heavier on her shoulder and her throat was constricted by a mix of helplessness and anger. If this was supposed to comfort her, it hadn’t worked. Just as she was crossing the threshold, McGonagall mumbled something about James Potter. Her voice was cold, colder than before and Harriet almost broke into a run right there. Neville caught her before she could take more than two steps, looking sympathetic and sorry for her.

“She really went too far.” He told her. “And you shouldn’t run in the hallways. There are still traps everywhere.” He reminded her.

“I can’t help the idea that her classroom is a trap.”

Neville agreed and tried to cheer her up. They would have their first potion lesson after diner. Lily would certainly manage to put a smile on their face. Harriet swallowed down her angry tears, vowing to wait until she would be hidden by the curtains of her bed to let it all go. She didn’t even think she would be able to talk about what had happened in transfiguration with Remus if she visited on the first weekend. Malfoy teased her about the fish incident, but she wouldn’t break down even if the whole school was mocking her. Not on the first week at least.

Potions proved challenging, but in a good way. Being used to cook with Remus, Harriet was good at preparing the ingredients. Malfoy was surprisingly good and Dudley, who had go unnoticed until now, proved to be amazingly gifted.

“Did you really follow the instructions?” Neville wondered.

“I might have mixed a few things up. I’m never really good at reading recipes.” The chubby boy replied.

He had lost a considerable amount of weight, but was still rounder than most students. Someone had told him that pounds made a difference in Wrestomb battles, and Dudley was aiming for a balanced weight until he could put on some muscles and bulk. He had mentioned boxing once or twice and Harriet wondered if he could be aggressive enough to box. He seemed so soft and easy-going. Unless he was staring at her when he thought she didn’t know. It still felt just as creepy.

The last new class was on Thursday and involved professor Quirrell, a man who had traveled a lot around the world and collected a lengthy collection of supernatural creatures. Taking over the previous teacher, the tall bald man taught everything there was to know about mystic creatures.

“For today, I’d like to hear from you, students.” Quirrell started. “Which creatures interest you the most? Do you have a pet or some magical animals back home?”

Dean Thomas was really eager for this class and Neville proudly talked about his ferret owl. Ron looked slightly bored, if not edgy. He kept on biting the back on his wand, and Harriet was fascinated by his large canines, which made the wood twitch. Weasley couldn’t be entirely human, she was sure of it. But what was he? He looked so comfortable, always collapsing on his chair, never standing at his full height, sitting or standing up. After going over everyone in the class and promising Malfoy that snakes were in their cursus, Quirrell offered a few questions.

“Can someone tell me what is this flower?” he asked, raising a small, purple and blue flower.

Ron froze and his wand snapped, making everyone jump.

“Weasley? You know of this flower?”

Harriet also knew what it was, but she wasn’t as white as Ron. Granger raised her hand, but Ron answered, his voice sounding hoarse:

“Wolf’s bane. It’s poisonous to werewolves. Or so I heard.” He quickly added, looking Quirrell squarely in the eyes.

They seemed to be locked in a staring contest for a few seconds, before that their teacher stored the plant in his large sleeve.

“Poisonous to birth werewolves, professor Quirrel.”

“Very accurate, miss Granger. 5 points for Gryffindor and 5 points for Ravenclaw. Since we’re talking of birth werewolves, can anyone tell me the difference between them and the other werewolves?”

Harriet rose her hand, hoping she could answer a question before that Hermione did. That girl was a walking encyclopedia. She had managed the feat of reading every book in their year’s cursus already and was often found in the library.

“Birth werewolves were born from werewolves and control the transformation. The other werewolves were bitten at some point during their life and can’t control the transformation unless they use Wolfbane potion.”

“Thank you miss Potter, that was very good. 5 points for Slytherin. Now, werewolves aren’t a subject we usually cover in first year, so we’ll have to settle for smaller, less ferocious creature for now.”

“What about Veelas professor?”

Harriet was surprised that someone mentioned it. And Malfoy?

“Oh, that’s pretty exotic, mister Malfoy. Veelas are…”

Quirrell’s brown eyes found Harriet as he said the word _Veelas_ and she looked away, her cheeks heating up. She didn’t want attention; why couldn’t she go through at least one day without being in the spotlight?

“Their race hasn’t been that much studied yet. We know they’re a symbol of Bulgary and might be related to harpies or sirens. They’re mesmerizingly beautiful and can bewitch any unsuspecting man with their beauty. Many creatures work with the same pattern, hiding their real appearance behind the traits of a beautiful woman. Can anyone give me an example?”

“Lamias!” Hermione replied before that anyone could think of an answer.

“Exactly. In general, they aim for protection, riches or food. But we’re still getting farther from the subject I wanted to breech today. For the first month, we’ll be studying XX creatures. Can anyone tell me what the X classification means?”

The lesson went on, but Harriet was puzzled by what Quirrell had said. Protection, riches, she could understand. Food? Veela didn’t eat human, did they? That make her think of the Men Eaters. And how Sirius was hunting them, while Remus was looking for work around Hogsmeade. The first week of school went by in a flash. She got better at noticing traps and even freed professor Flitwick from one. McGonagall didn’t soften one bit and her transfigurations were all still somehow related to amphibians and fishes. She began to dread those classes, while potion was easier, although Lily sometimes slipped up and called her Harriet instead of miss Potter, which earn Harriet a few mockeries or jealousy. Dudley kept improving, pretending to be lucky when he brewed to perfection, amazing even professor Evans.

Harriet couldn’t visit her father, since the full moon was on the weekend and she had to stay at Hogwarts, which meant she could finally take her revenge on Malfoy in true Marauders’ style. She hadn’t been raised by Sirius and Remus to be picked on without doing anything in return. On Sunday, Draco showed up in their house’s room, his hair dripping wet, covered in black goo from head to toe. Harriet laughed with everyone else, trying hard not to let it show that she might be responsible. But Malfoy wasn’t stupid and glared at her more than at anyone else. It got even better when Snape chided him for dirtying the common room and the boy’s showers when he should have used a cleaning spell. Snape also warned that once the prankster was found, he or she would be in detention for a whole week.

He eyed her with suspicions, which was pretty unnerving. She gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, hoping he would dismiss his doubts about her. The following week was as difficult as the first. Harriet was bitten by some plant and twisted her ankle in a trap. She learned a few healing spell from Pomfrey and missed only her transfiguration class, which was suspicious as Neville warned her, although she practiced every night to make up for it. Even on her own, her attempts at transfiguration were like walking with a crutch. Tentative and failing a bit too often.

Malfoy tried to get back at her, but she detected Snape’s and his traps alike, which meant she could just walk away unscathed. They wouldn’t learn a magic unraveling spell before third year, which meant a few traps were disarmed every now and then, which left traps from students the only one threatening people. A few detentions were given, but Harriet was careful, having learned that magic could be retraced. Which meant Snape knew she had pranked Malfoy. She kept her head down and was thoroughly humiliated in every transfiguration classes. At this rate, if she didn’t try to hex McGonagall before the end of the year, Harriet could be canonised and sanctified. According to her at least.

On the second weekend, Echo brought her a letter from Remus, mentioning that he had found work and couldn’t be home, which meant they couldn’t see each other until the end of the month. Harriet focused on her studies, since the first exams were already looming over the students. By the end of September, the Wrestomb’s applications had been done and McGonagall stood in the Great Hall, calling the new applicants.

“For Hufflepuff, Lavande Brown, Dudley Dursley, and Ernie Macmillan.”

Cheers followed the announcement, before that the headmistress moved on to Ravenclaw:

“Cho Chang, Hermione Granger.”

Cheers and a few booing could be heard, since Granger had made a few enemies in the first years. She had stopped freeing the trapped students, pretending that if they were stupid enough to be caught in trap, they belonged there. One boy had remained stuck on a wall for a full day, almost ending up dehydrated, after Granger threw an invisibility spell on him. She had lost a few house points, but there hadn’t been detention for her, which seemed unfair even to Harriet.

“For Gryffindor, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas and Ronald Weasley.”

The cheers were literal roars, as the Weasley sisters were acclaiming their brother, almost howling in approval. Georgia and Frederique Weasley were twins, a year older than Ronald, while Persephone, a prefect also in Gryffindor and four years older than Ron, was clapping with dignity.

Ronald was considered as mightily strong and Wood, the Gryffindor’s captain, was clearly keen on recruiting him.

“And for SLYTHERIN…” McGonagall said over the cheering, bringing back the silence. “Draco Malfoy and… Dear god! Harriet Potter.”

Harriet could have jump on her feet if Draco hadn’t clapped her shoulder, clearly expecting to hear her name. She hadn’t applied for Wrestomb. Surely this was a… Draco’s smile told another story and she understood. Since he couldn’t trap her with magic, he would force her into the Wrestomb’s entrance trials. That would be a good way to humiliate her.

“Well well, it seems we’ll be competing for a place in the team,” Malfoy commented while their classmates congratulate them both for applying.

“If you both prove worth it; I might take both of you. We need fresh blood. Huh, I meant, new blood.” The captain told them.

Harriet sighed, making her best to keep a straight face. One look at the professor table was enough to see what Lily and Severus thought. Lily was talking with her boyfriend, both of them clearly upset, but surely for different reasons. If Harriet had been closer, she’d be surprised by their argument.

“Are you worried about her, Sev?” Lily asked playfully.

“I simply stated that she’s too small and young for this kind of sport.”

“I think Harriet would be a great asset to any team. She’s learning a lot from you, isn’t she?”

Snape pulled a face, before to nod in defeat.

“She’s promising. Although she’d better quiet down and stop fueling Malfoy’s grudge on her.”

“Oh, to be young and in love again…”

“This is not love.” He protested a bit too vehemently. He felt pretty protective of the girl, despite all his efforts to hate her, like he hated her father. “Malfoy wants to make her life miserable because he feels like crap.”

“That somehow sounds familiar to me.” The potion master teased him.

“She’s still a child, Lily.”

That was enough to elicit a bright smile on her face, as she nodded and squeezed his hand under the table.

“Sometimes, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re trying to be her father.”

“Lord save me!” was his only answer, although the quick glance McGonagall gave him over Quirrell’s shoulders wasn’t missed on his part. Severus’ face darkened and he looked back to Harriet Potter, who was picking at her food by now. Wrestomb wouldn’t get her killed, but it would give other people occasions to try.

…

Harriet barely managed to exchange two letters with Remus before the Wrestomb trials, on Halloween’s eve. She had been honest with him, explaining that she’d never put her own name or application. Remus sounded encouraging, although she could imagine how worried he was. He had suggested that she resigned from the competition, but Harriet was too proud to even consider. He promised to be in the tribunes so he could watch her and somehow, Harriet didn’t know if the idea comforted her or not. Failing in front of one of her fathers wasn’t really appealing. She had tried training, before to decide training would come afterwards, if she made it on the team.

She was really behind in transfiguration and couldn’t let herself get any worse, since her first exam was right before the qualifications. She had been so nervous, she managed one transfiguration right and then filled the class with bubbles of soap and various amphibians before that McGonagall gave her a detention and called the class off. Her detention was Saturday night, or well, Halloween’s night, under the supervision of one pissed off Snape. The headmistress herself couldn’t miss the banquet and the potential turmoil that came with it.

Neville walked her through the trial program one last time, just as nervous as her.

“First we go through the obstacle course. Brooms first, we run in the second part and we must ride some mystery creature in the third part. There’s a fourth part but I couldn’t get grand-mother to spy on the jury for me.”

“I told you to find a way to banish her already.”

“It’s pretty useful to keep a ghost in the family. She gave that lemon pie recipe to Lily.”

That lemon pie was delicious and the best argument he had to keep his grand-mother although she _was_ haunting him.

“Okay, mysterious end locomotion. What’s next?”

“Magic wrestling. Only silent magic can be used and no wand.”

“We don’t learn wandless magic before third year,” she sighed.

“Then there’s the duel phase. We’ll compete until only two wizards or witches reach finals, just as the wrestling.”

“You think Malfoy realize that he can’t hex me since we’re in the same house?” she mused.

“If you want to hex him, accidents happen. You could turn his ears into fishes.”

The joke had a sour taste in Harriet’s ears and Neville quickly realized his mistake. Her transfiguration exam was still too fresh and sore a memory to make her laugh.

 “After the duel comes the tough part. The beasts’ taming to steal a key from the Whomping willow.”

Harriet felt her throat tightening. Were they seriously going to get through this entire program in a single day? Hagrid watched over the students, followed by his red dog, which barked at Ron Weasley more than anyone.

“Come on Bella, I know what you mean, I’ll be careful,” Ron whispered to her.

“You know that…giant’s dog?” Dudley asked.

“Don’t say giant,” Luna warned him. “It’s a tall person if you’re polite.”

Dudley ignored her, insisting as Neville caught up to them, closely followed by Harriet.

“Of course I know Bella,” Ron retorted before to realize he wasn’t exactly making sense. “I mean… Hagrid’s dog. I’m good with dogs.”

“I don’t get it. Do you hang around Hagrid’s house?” Harriet asked him.

“Sometimes. On the weekends.” He said evasively, his eyes asserting their surroundings. He was edgy again.

“Oh, so that’s where you’d gone to the other weekend!”

Harriet remembered that last weekend was a full moon and made a mental note to question her father as soon as she’d see him in person. Before that she could wonder anymore, two whirlwind of red hair engulfed them, Georgia grabbing Ron into a bear hug while Freddie was looking over the rest of his friends.

“We can’t wait to see how you’ll fare in the trials, guys. I must say, Gryffindor is assured to win those prems, with bro on the team.”

“Oh come on, he’s strong, but…!”

Neville was interrupted by Georgia bursting a fire cracker above their heads.

“It’s for good luck. Not that you need it Ron. But we need to be extra supportive since mom couldn’t make it today.”

“Gees sis, you’re both embarrassing me!” Ron protested as Freddie had engulfed him in her own arms, ruffling his unruly hair.

Both girls had pale skin and freckles that fitted their fire red curls. Harriet was still trying to find a way to tell them apart when McGonagall’s voice rang over the field. People were gathering in the tribunes and the few applicants were standing on the grass, punching the air or waving their wands in last minute practice.

“Teachers, gather your pupils,” she ordered.

The twins gave them one last wave before to run back to the tribunes. Luna went back to the tribune while Dudley joined the other Hufflepuff’s contestants. Harriet didn’t have to look far to find Snape, eying her with a dark expression. She wondered when she’d last seen him looking happy, or not frowning. Malfoy wished her luck, adding under his breathe:

“You’ll need it.”

Harriet’s blood was fired up by that nth jab at her moral. She was going to give it her all.

“Potter, Malfoy, take these. Each contestant can use an energizing potion at any time during the competition. You only have one of them, so determine the time to use it wisely.” Snape explained in a monotone voice.

Harriet noticed that Hermione was storing her own potion in a pocket of her robe. That girl was going to run wearing robes? Harriet had ordered a pair of knickers and was wearing a loose shirt, following Neville’s suggestions. This was a sport competition after all. Her wand was in a holster on her tight and she was wearing running shoes that made her feel as if she was back to Muggle time and some gym competition. She hated gym and physical exercises. Fortunately, most of the applicants were first years and weren’t that much taller, making her hopeful that she could get trough this without too much humiliation.

“Contestants, get set.” McGonagall beckoned them.

That was it. Harriet took place in front of the brooms reserved for the Slytherin. Her broom class seemed far, but she had played with a toy broom when she was a baby and doubted she could forget it. It was like riding a bicycle. She wondered how many wizards had tried riding bicycles. Remus knew, but Sirius had declared he wouldn’t ride anything without a motor or magic enhancement. She looked up to the tribune, noticing the grey streaks in Remus’ brown hair. He smiled at her his reassuring smile and Harriet looked back to the broom and the obstacle course. Large rings were floating in the sky, color-based on their respective house and wearing their initials to make sure each student would follow the right course. Taking someone else’s ring would get you disqualified from the race.

But Harriet had made up her mind and wasn’t ready to be disqualified. She was going to give it her best and show that McGonagall what she could do. Showing Malfoy off would be a bonus too, but she simply hoped to get more points then him to make it clear he shouldn’t have put her application in there.

“In 3…2…1… Go!”

To be continued…


	5. A speck of poison

Kicking up and flying into the air was grand and marvellous. But focusing on the ring she was supposed to fly through with a dozen people rushing around her like gross giant bugs was something else. Harriet had to make a loop, almost losing her hold on her broom, before she managed to reach her first ring. She saw that Granger was still on the ground, angrily calling her broom up. At least, there was something that know-it-all wasn’t good at. Then she realized Malfoy was zooming forward and rushed to keep up. Although she was competing mostly with the other houses, her real competitor was Malfoy. If he made more points than her, he would be on the team. There was one vacant spot, which meant Fletcher had to take someone new to complete the team. But if the second one was too far behind, the Slytherins wouldn’t even consider it as a replacement.

Harriet didn’t exactly want to make it on the team. But she was a competitive girl and she wouldn’t lose to Malfoy if she could help it.

She let her instinct take over, despite she’d rather be in the water than the air. She flew, the wind toying with her short locks. She had to screw her eyes to keep sight of her rings. Turn slightly right. Go up and high before to plunge deep. There weren’t obstacles in this part of the race. When she reached the final ring, she realized she had to land and felt a little light-headed as her feet touched the ground.

“Cho Chang has taken the lead, but I’ve heard that Longbottom is one incredible runner. Chang’d better be fast to keep her head start.” Lee Jordan commented.

Harriet had to focus on the task at hand. She took out of her wand, running on the track, noticing Weasley face-planting, which confirmed that the tracks could be trapped. And just as she cast her first detection spell, she saw a dozen of them. She zigzagged through them, casting another spell. She wasn’t exactly fast, but she couldn’t use up all of her energy right now. After half a mile of running, she felt something hitting her square in the shoulder and tumbled before to catch her stance. Malfoy had pushed her to get ahead to the stalls that signaled the third step of the race. She sprinted, only to discover that Malfoy was already choosing his ride, a giant snake with three heads.

Slytherin had two creatures to chose from and the first there was granted dibs on whatever he fancied more. Harriet was ready to bet that Draco could speak Parseltongue.

“Have fun Potter!”

Her eyes discovered her steed. A tall, monstrous spider was towering above her. She carefully opened the stall door, hearing Lee Jordan commenting:

“Weasley seems to not get along with his griffin. Longbottom is doing a lot better with the eagle he chose. And Potter is still hesitating in front of her nightmare on eight legs.”

“Jordan! You don’t need to sound dramatic!” McGonagall complained.

Harriet gulped, her eyes meeting the eight eyes on the spider.

“Well, hello there.” She muttered, not knowing where to start.

“Hello.” The spider answered.

“You can talk?!”

“Hagrid taught me.”

“Oh… Would you please take me to the next step of this race?” she asked, hoping it could work.

“What’s in it for me?”

Harriet immediately chided herself for not taking any sweets with her.

“What would you like?”

The eyes stared at her intensely.

“I think a speck of blood will do.”

That gave a shiver to the young girl, but she accepted. She had already lost enough time, although she didn’t see how she could tame a giant spider without knowing anything about those creatures. _Acromentula_ , she thought. _I’ve read about them somewhere._

“I’ll gave it to you as soon as we’re on the other side of the race.”

The spider agreed and bent her legs so that Harriet could climb and sit on her back.

“Hold tightly on my hairs. Don’t be afraid to pull. My bite might hurt you anyway.”

It wasn’t comforting her one bit, but when the acromentula took off, Harriet realized it might have been a good thing she took that ride. The giant snake had stopped in the middle of the track, its three heads bickering while Malfoy hissed for him to go on. Her spider almost flied through the field. The air was hitting her face as strongly as when she was flying.

“That acromantula is going so fast!” Jordan marvelled.

The creature laughed beneath Harriet, making her whole body tingle. Somehow, she realized what was going on. It was really eager to drink her blood. Should she have been worried? Any more worried than she already was?

In a matter of seconds, they had gotten through the entire miles separating them from the last part of the run. The lake. Harriet slid off her ride, ready to hold her part of the bargain.

“Just a speck, huh?”

“I can’t wait to sample it. Veela’s blood…Give me your wrist.” The spider asked.

Cries of stupor and horror could be heard and Harriet wondered if she wasn’t making a mistake.

“You’re not venomous, are you?”

“Not at this peculiar moment.”

The dark glossy eyes blinked all at the same time and Harriet raised her wrist to the fat mandibles surrounding the monster’s mouth. Would they really put extremely dangerous creatures in a competition involving first years? She had given her words and going in the lake meant being in her element. This race was almost over. The bite made her jump, but she resisted the urge to pull her arm away. It was over before she could even panic as Jordan was asking in his speaker:

“Is Potter getting eaten?!”

“Of course not, Jordan!”

It stung and Harriet spelled the wound closed with the healing stitches spell Pomfrey had shown her.

“Thanks little girl. Be sure to be careful to whom you grant your blood.”

“I’ll try to keep it to myself, thank you.”

The spider laughed as it ran back to its stall and Harriet turned to the lake. Malfoy had coerced his snake into obedience and jumped in the water a minute after she had dived. As soon as her skin touched the water, Harriet felt a lot better. This was like a mother’s embrace to her. The cold water soothed her nerves and she even dared to change herself for the first half of the lake. She was so fast as a turtle, not to mention immersing herself in the animal mind was calming. She switched back to human and swam as fast as she could, reaching the other side at the same time as Ron Weasley. Cho Chang, who had completed the race, gave her a hand and one encouraging smile.

“I don’t know what you bargained with that acromentula, but you’ve got nerves of steel.” The Asian girl commented.

“And that was mad swimming. She got past me so quick, I couldn’t even tell it was her at first,” Ron marvelled.

Harriet shivered in the fresh air, holding herself before to receive a blanket from Pomfrey, who stood in the shadows, next to a tent that welcomed the runners.

“Did you give blood to that spider, miss Potter?”

“Was that wrong?”

“No,” the young nurse declared. “But you’d better be harder when you bargain. Next time, you’ll lose a limb.”

“I’m so doing nightmares over this.” Harriet whispered out loud.

Just then, Malfoy appeared on the bank, his hair stuck to his head, breathing like an asthmatic. He wasn’t used to swimming on such long distance and gave a nasty glare to the young girl.

“How… dare you get ahead of me, Potter!”

 She ignored him, already feeling too tired. To think this was only the first trial. They were off to magic wrestling now.

…

“Cho Chang against Harriet Potter!” Lee Jordan announced.

Harriet knew she wouldn’t win this part, but she’d hope to be against someone less advanced than Cho. The Ravenclaw girl was a second year and pretty much taller than the other. The only one as tall as her was Ron, who had been defeated by Dudley, much to his sisters surprise. Dudley was the discovery of the trials. He had done fairly well in the obstacle run and was balancing spells and wrestling like a pro. Harriet wasn’t angry to see Malfoy losing against him, although she herself didn’t do too well against Neville. Fighting Cho Chang was her last chance in this trial. She was still tired from the race and the slight blood loss, but she was keeping her energizing potion. Granger had proved strong in magic, but not in wrestling and was hoping to redeem herself in the duelling session.

Stepping on the ring, Harriet eyed Cho, who was looking for weaknesses. _She must be finding a lot of them,_ the young girl thought.

The match lasted longer than expected. Cho went easy on Harriet at first, not using magic and the few self defense moves the girl had learned proved useful. She was fast, but Cho had more endurance than her. After a few minutes, Harriet could barely stand up and the first spell Chang used worked, effectively pushing her out of the ring. In the end, Dudley won the competition, acclaimed by the ecstatic Hufflepuffs, with Neville proving to be the only one able to hold his ground against the Dursley.

Harriet was surprised to see her points ranking after the duel session. She had been really good, actually winning against Granger and claiming up the first place, followed by Cho and then Malfoy. She was a quick caster and had read a lot of chapters ahead in the defense against the dark arts, knowing a mean counter spell. In the public, Lily gave a meaningful look to Snape.

“Promising you said, huh?”

Severus shrugged his shoulders. The girl was pretty incredible for a first year, but then again, there was a lot of incredible first years this year. The next part might prove to be more difficult. The beast the kids were supposed to tame were just as dangerous as the rides provided earlier.

“Cho Chang have forgotten how to treat cornwell imps. But wait, Potter has a slime to tame. Are slimes even animals? Weasly, Longbottom and Malfoy all have their key, so does Thomas and Brown. It seems Granger has forfeited the competition. Sore los… Ouch! I meant… Good effort!”

Harriet was eying the slime at her feet with a dubious expression. She had heard from many different magical creatures during her life, read about even more thanks to Remus’ books but this one. This one seemed peculiar, with her purple and dark spots in her half liquid half solid body. In the tribunes, Lupin asked for Lily’s lens’ scope and almost jumped from his seat.

“How could they use such a dangerous variety of slime in the middle of this competition?!”

Lily frowned, taking back the lens’ scope. It wasn’t any slime, but one of the most venomous sort to exist on the planet. It usually lived in Africa and the legend rumored it to have been created from the manipulation a wizard made on a bacteria and dark magic. The _epipholia subtilia_.

“She could get herself killed!” she yelped.

Severus waited a few seconds before to rush down the tribunes. He was followed by both Lily and Remus, although the competition was still going on. Surely McGonagall herself didn’t know the danger the kids were exposed to, or she would have stopped the trials.

Harriet wasn’t aware of the danger, only that she was one step away from a good night sleep and might just have a good ranking, even a better one than Malfoy. That was if she managed to finish this task. She talked, poked with her shoe and tried a few spells, but the slime was indifferent to each of her attempt. In the end, she levitated the slime toward the willow, who seemed scared by the small thing and refused to touch it. Harriet gently pushed her slime against one free key and much to her expectations, the key stuck to the grime texture of the creature, severed from the beating willow. Now it was just about levitating the slime back to her and grabbing the key.

The three wizards running toward her were at yelling distance, but a gust of wind covered their voices, while Harriet put the slime back down and crouched next to it, to retrieve her key. She saw purple and dark tendrils flaring on the slime as her hand towered over it and took an instinctive step away from it, but it was too late. Poison surged in the air, knocking the young girl out. Before that any more damage could be done, the slime was covered with a small dome of glass, conjured by Lily, while Severus removed the remaining poison from the air and Remus knelt next to his daughter.

The rest was confusion and Harriet would learn later on that each house had a representative winner, Hufflepuff having Dudley, Ravenclaw Cho Chang, Gryffindor the only with a tie between Neville and Ron while Slytherin’s winner was none other than Harriet herself.

She woke up with a headache in the infirmary, all the curtains drawn since Pomfrey was working on a mixture right next to her bed. The young girl still had to understand why the nurse basked in shadows, but she had her doubts. Remus was sitting on the other side of her bed, gazing at her peaceful form.

“Turtledove,” was the first word she heard and with a smile, she looked up at her father, although she didn’t remember going back home during the last few hours.

“What happened?”

 “You were attacked by the slime. Someone had snuck it in the competition. If you had touched it directly, you could have died…”

“Pretty much instantly. Those little things’ poison is the worst.” Pomfrey commented. “Here young girl. Drink this, and drink it entirely by the time I come back to check on you.”

Harriet hadn’t sat up, feeling light headed when the nurse hastily pushed between her hands a bottle of her freshly brewed mixture, which was a dark and deep shade of purple.

“Ewww. It smells.”

“Drink, turtle bug. It will help clear your head.” Remus told her.

She complied and felt somewhat better. When her father asked her how school had been so far, Harriet was surprised by the tears that welled up in her eyes. She hadn’t cried herself to sleep after the many humiliations in transfiguration’s classes, she wasn’t one to cry, too proud to do so. But right now, after going through all the incredible ordeals of the Wrestomb trials, after giving blood to a giant spider and being told she could have died and remembering the few last week and her awful transfiguration exam, it was overflowing her senses.

Remus’ hug made her feel better, well enough to sit in his lap and tell him a little about her school days. Severus’ traps and Malfoy constantly trying to pull the rag beneath her feet and McGonagall’s attitude were central in her monologue. Remus listened closely, hugging her whenever she seemed close to tears again. She apologized and he dismissed her words, knowing full well how hard a first year could be.

“I know you’ve made a few friends. A bunch of kids checked on you earlier.” He observed when she fell silent, having vent everything.

“Neville would come, I know…”

“There was also Dudley and Weasley and even that Cho Chang. I think you impressed your fellow classmates today. To think you were worried of boys.” He teased her.

Blushing and smiling all the same, Harriet felt a whole lot better. If they could bottle up a Remus Lupin’s speech, it would work far better than any magic potion. Shuffling feet warned them of someone coming and she hurriedly slipped back into bed and rubbed her eyes, hoping it wouldn’t be clear she’d been crying.

McGonagall walked into the infirmary, more severe than ever.

“So you’re feeling better miss Potter?”

Harriet simply nodded while Lupin got to his feet.

“Professor.”

“Mister Lupin.” She acknowledged him. “I’d like to talk with your daughter in private.”

“Anything you need to tell her, you can say in front of me, I’m sure.”

“I see.” Minerva pinched her lips but went on: “Today’s incident is being investigated as we speak. You’ll be the first to know when we reach a conclusion and find the culprit behind this… mistake. You were pretty impressive, miss Potter. I can’t wait to see your first real competition.”

She gave a small curtsy and walked out, passing by Severus Snape, who’d waltzed in the infirmary, balancing a few flasks on a platter.

“Professor.” Minerva told him.

Snape moved aside, a little more than necessary, his face turning two shades paler. Harriet noticed the animosity between the two teachers and wondered where that was coming from.

“I brought a preventive antidote,” Snape declared once McGonagall was out of hearing distance. “You must take one sip every morning and every night for the next week. It will remove any trace of the poison from your organism.”

“Did aunt Lily made it?” Harriet asked as Remus took the small green bottle from Severus.

“I did. I’ve always been better at brewing antidotes.”

He placed his plater on the table next to her bed and Harriet understood he was furnishing the infirmary with remedy and other potions. Of course Snape would be a great potion maker. He had studied with Lily and they were working together since forever.

“Thank you Severus.”

“It’s nothing. I can’t let one of my best students get killed because Quirrell hasn’t taught them of poisoned slime.”

Harriet blushed. Did Severus Snape just praised her? Could that even happen? She eyed him curiously and he pulled a face at her puzzled expression.

“Lily didn’t pay me to say that. You have real talent, miss Potter. For trouble I might add. You might want to be more careful when you face unknown magic. Touching it with your feet? Seriously?”

“Is he joking? I’ve never heard him joking before!”

That made Remus laugh while Severus simply shrugged. This was a truce. He had been worried when the werewolf had identified the slime. That poor girl might be his worst enemy’s spawn, she was still a human being and didn’t deserve to die at such a young age. _Or ever_ , he kept thinking despite his best effort not to care.

To be continued.


	6. Of drowning and making friends

Harriet couldn’t leave the infirmary before the next morning. She slipped into the Great Hall, trying to gather as little attention as she could. It was only when she sat at the Slytherin table that Marcus Flint, their Wrestomb team’s captain called up to her:

“Potter, you’re on the team. Training is at six every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday morning starting next week.”

Harriet didn’t know how to take the news. It sounded exciting. Tracey Davies, fellow Slytherin in first year and the girl who had been sick on the first banquet night clapped her on the back.

“There hasn’t been a girl on our team for at least a decade!”

Draco looked gloomy, but Pansy Parkinson didn’t wait long to tell Harriet that Malfoy also got on the team. That brown haired girl still despised her despite her achievements. The rest of their house were less concerned, although a few had wondered if she was pure-blooded or not. James Potter was pure-blooded without a doubt, but the fact her mother was unknown raised a few suspicions. Harriet wasn’t exactly used to those questions of breeding. She knew that the Black family cared a lot about it, although Sirius couldn’t have been more in contradiction with his parents.

“I’m specializing you in dueling and racing, Potter. Taming too if you can identify a threat by the end of the semester.”

She blushed but laughed with the others, able to see Marcus had no ill-intent. He had dark hair and perfect teeth and was among the tallest and leanest in their team. Two bruisers, Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole, were the main wrestlers. With Terrence Higgs being their specialist tamer, and Draco walking in his steps, their team was close to the minimum of players, which was five.

“With her frame, I doubt she could last a week of training,” Pansy whispered under her breath.

Draco might have agreed with the daring girl, if he hadn’t been about the same frame as Harriet. He looked preoccupied and not really inclined into mocking anyone. Maybe was he realizing what he had gotten himself into by applying on the team. The first match would be against Ravenclaw, in one month exactly.

Harriet spent her day with Echo, walking among the grounds of Hogwarts. She could have tried to practice her transfiguration or to study in the library, but since she had detention tonight, she’d rather relax. A lot of people had taken to go out, since Snape’s traps were only inside the castle. As she walked, lost in thought, a terrified squeal caught her attention. A group of girls were running from the lake, claiming they’d seen the giant squid eating someone.

Echo let out one worried bark, to be reassured by Harriet instantly.

“The giant squid would never eat a student.” She told her red wolf.

She walked up to the lake, eying its surface with a mix of curiosity and envy. The water looked fresh and clean. Swimming the other day had been invigorating. Which reminded her that she never took the energizing potion. It was still in the pocket of her knickers. She wondered if she could use it before a competition. That would be like cheating. But she could always use it if she decided to study through an entire night.

Sitting down on the bank, Harriet stared down at her reflection, stroking Echo’s fur as the small wolf curled in her lap, yawning slowly.

“You like being outside better than the dungeons, don’t you?”

Two short barks. If their little code was working, that meant that Echo didn’t mind the dungeon that much. Harriet saw ripples on the water and looked up just in time to see a long tentacle hurling something right at her. She dove for cover, shielding Echo without thinking. There was a thud on the ground and by the time she was looking up at the lake again, the red tentacle was gone. Her wolf whimpered and the young girl herself wondered what could be wrong with the creature, whatever it could be. She waited a few seconds, scanning the surface for any new movements. Nothing. She looked to her left, discovering a black stone, perfectly polished that hadn’t been there before. The rock was almost as big as man’s fist and shone under the sun. She reached for it, Echo immediately groaning.

“It would have hurt me if it hit, it’s perfectly safe.” She told the wolf.

It wasn’t before her fingers touched the cool hard surface that Harriet realized how careless that was. But her curiosity had won over and nothing seemed to happen. She rolled the stone between her hands, examining it closely. On the flatter surface, she could make out letters that had been etched in the stone. D-R-O-W…

“Potter! Are you trying to summon fishes or something?” Malfoy’s voice mocked her.

Harriet was half lying on the lake’s bank, with mud in her hair and a bewildered red wolf by her side. She looked up and straightened herself, instinctively bringing the stone closer to her chest. Although the projectile could have killed her on impact, she felt a link towards it instead of being scared. It was strange and she might be under a spell, but if she was, would she even wonder if she could be? How did that work?

“Are you bored, Malfoy?” she retorted over Crabe’s and Goyle’s laughs.

“I was actually planning to congratulate you for making it on the team. But it seems your encounter with a slime has damaged your brain. I hope whatever you got isn’t contagious.”

Harriet got up, annoyed to be interrupted in her investigation of the mysterious stone. There was one letter left and she shouldn’t give Malfoy any ammunition against her. She had the impression she could never really fit in with the Slytherin if she couldn’t reach some kind of truce with the blond haired boy. She walked back to the castle, since the sun was reaching its zenith and that she wouldn’t have much time before dinner time. She went to the library after leaving Echo in the common room, in case she needed references to identify the stone.

If someone had asked her why she was so intrigued, Harriet would have had trouble explaining. For all she knew, the giant squid had just tried killing her or sending her a message. When she was finally sitting and took account of the last letter etched in the stone, dread fell upon her.

 _DROWN_. That was the message send by the squid. Although she could hardly drown, unless she was knocked unconscious and thrown in the water with stones tied to her feet.

 _No one would pull a farce that elaborated just to wish someone to drown_ , she thought.

Examining the stone from up close, she noticed smaller marks beneath each larger letter. They were so small she had to screw her eyes and could barely make out letters.

 _i-v-e_ … beneath the “D”.

“Dive? Could it be…?” she mused.

The word wasn’t a dark suggestion or a word, but an acronym! She found a magnifying lens and deciphered the following etched letters. _Rescue_.

That sounded like a call for help! Harriet easily recognized the r that followed. _Dive – rescue – or_ …

“Wi… will… And now we have an N… What the hell is that? Nox…  Noxa?”

_Dive – rescue – or –will – noxa._

The first part was straightforward enough but the last segment seemed obscure and a little threatening. What could happen if the rescue didn’t take place? What could noxa mean?

“Sounds Latin.” Harriet thought.

She stuffed the stone in her bag and looked for the dictionaries section. There were runic and druidic languages that took an important part of the section, but she finally reached the dictionaries, to find Cho Chang immersed in a book with a spine larger than her head.

“Excuse me…” Harriet whispered, trying to slip herself between the second-year and the farthest shelve of books.

“Oh, Harriet! I’m sorry, can I call you Harriet?”

“Of course, huh… I’m just looking for a dictionary.”

“A Latin dictionary? Are you studying a spell? For dueling maybe? You were amazing. I hope you’re feeling better. I’ve been poisoned once by a Streeler my uncle kept and it wasn’t very pleasant.”

“A Streeler? Like a giant snail? I’ve never seen one.”

“Has Quirrell already covered them? I thought it was second year material.”

“My father studied a lot of magical creatures, so I know a few things.”

Cho frowned at the mention of her father, but didn’t push it. Harriet’s actual family situation wasn’t well known in the magical world, because a certain unknown villain could try to kill her parents if she knew they were both men. Since Lupin was the one taking care of her most of the time, she could name him, but Sirius had to remain a secret, especially since he was well known with his work as an Auror.

“Maybe I can help you with Latin. I’ve been studying it closely to have less trouble with my pronunciation. Asian magic isn’t quite the same as what is taught at Hogwarts.”

Harriet’s interest was picked, but she knew too little about magic to delve herself in ethnologic differences so soon.

“Actually, I’m just looking for one word. It’s… Noxa. I thought it could be related to light.”

“With the Lumos and Nox charms, it’s a good guess. But Latin is so old, there’s a lot of hidden meaning sometimes. Is it a spell?”

“I don’t really know. I fell on that word in some obscure book and it caught my interest.”

Harriet wasn’t sure she should show the stone to anyone she didn’t know well. Neville would be a trusty confident, but Cho, although cheerful and less suspicious of the Potter girl than other students, was still basically a stranger. She had played fair in their wrestling confrontation though.

“Noxa.” The Asian girl tried again, while she scanned the row of shelves. She grabbed a book and searched herself until she’d found the right page. “Here we are. Noxa can mean crime, damage or harm, among a few other things. It sounds pretty nasty whichever meaning they use.”

Harriet wasn’t exactly surprised. Dive – rescue – or – will – harm. Someone needed help or else… But it wasn’t specific enough. The help was needed in the lake of course.

“Do you know of any being living in the dark lake?” she asked Cho.

“Huh… Water isn’t really my expertise. I was playing Quidditch back home, you see. But I’m pretty sure something else than the giant squid must be hidden in there. Maybe Kappas or Nagas!”

“What are those?”

“Chang! We’re going to be late for dinner.” A young girl called.

“Oh, that’s Marietta. I’ll see you around Harriet. And I’ll want to know where you read that word, Noxa.”

Harriet wondered if she had just made friends with Cho. The girl seemed incredibly interested in her. She might have been slightly impressive as she faced the acromentula or managed to win the duels, but she couldn’t see why Cho Chang could want another friend. She hadn’t heard much from her, except that she was a really loyal and gentle person according to Luna, who was good friend with Neville since the incident in the Great Hall on their first night at Hogwarts.

She joined the Slytherins for dinner, sitting between Tracey and Marcus, who had insisted she sat close to him to have her memorizing their training schedule. Snape was supervising their training on Wednesday morning, while Hagrid took care of the two other sessions. Every head of house personally trained their Wrestomb team and Hagrid, while the gamekeeper of Hogwarts, was also the players’ main coach. He was an expert in taming and wrestling, and brought balance in the training regimen, making sure no team was stronger than the other despite the different head of house.

A few owls delivered letters, Malfoy clearly reading bad news, since he turned even gloomier than he’d been in the morning. Tracey suggested going on an exploration of the dungeons to Harriet.

“It’s only been a few weeks and I’m pretty sure there are interesting things hiding down there. This castle has evolved a lot since it was created.”

The prospect was really interesting and could take her mind off the mystery of the lake, although Harriet had wondered if she couldn’t look for books about the dark lake. The boys her age were all eating up Malfoy’s words and Pansy Parkinson wasn’t close to respect her. Maybe Tracey was trying to befriend her because she was famous, since the trials, but the girl seemed genuinely excited at the idea of exploring the dungeons. The older slytherins were mostly keeping to themselves and if Harriet wanted a friend in her own house, Tracey was a good choice. Although she did get sick an awful lot if the last few weeks were any indication. The girl had a frail constitution and Harriet had helped her changing her bed a few times already, before that house elves barged in, pleading for the human girls to not deprive them of work.

“As long as I can get to detention in time. I won’t put it beyond Snape to give me another detention if I’m late to the first one.”

“I bet you he won’t. I heard he had plans with professor Evans before that McGonagall ordered him to take care of detention.”

That didn’t sound really good. In fact, Snape would certainly take his anger out on her.

“Why are you so scared of Snape, Potter?” Marcus asked her. “He’s our head of house and you haven’t lost any points so far or blown up the dungeons.”

“I don’t know. Must be the dark aura he basks into.” She suggested.

Knowing smiles made her feel a lot better, until her trip through the dungeons with Tracey Davies ended up with Peeves chasing after them and covering both girls in green mucus. They had discovered an hidden room leading to older dungeons and one particular room, filled with moss and various plants. One of them sang with a beautiful voice, until Peeves erupted from a large, nefarious looking mushroom and jumped at the girls. After getting away, Tracey tried the cleaning spell they’d recently learned with Flitwick, missing only a few spots.

“At least we won’t dirty the dorm or the common room,” she sighed.

“Next time we try this, let’s bring some salt.”

“Salt? You mean, to get rid of ghosts?”

“My father told me it worked miracles.”

Tracey raised one brow and blushed as she asked her:

“By the way… Who’s your father, Harriet? I didn’t see him on the trials’ day.”

The young girl wondered if her dorm mate was verifying something for someone. Malfoy had made her pretty wary of everyone with his numerous attacks and attitude.

“Oh, it’s S… Remus Lupin. He was my godfather and took care of me for so long, it feels as though he’s my real father.”

Tracey nodded in understanding.

“I’m glad for you.”

The words were quite sincere and Harriet wondered if Tracey had something on her mind concerning her own parents.

“It’s hard being far from home, isn’t it? Hogwarts is amazing…” Harriet started.

“But we still miss home. You’re pretty perceptive, Harriet. I’d like to take more time to talk but…”

She was interrupted by a sneeze and stroked her shoulders.

“It’s getting cold in those halls and I don’t want to make you late for detention.”

Harriet agreed and they hurried to their common room. The password had changed the very same morning, but luckily, both girls had good memories. Harriet switched shoes for clean ones – Peeves had been very thorough with his shots- and left while her house mates were preparing to go to the banquet. Malfoy barely noticed her passing by and forgot or hadn’t the heart to try any insult on her.

She knocked on Snape’s door right on time. She had never visited his office yet, but wasn’t surprised to discover a dark room, with a cauldron brewing in a corner and various potions ingredients and instruments on an entire wall. He closed a wooden cabinet, waving for her to sit behind the lone desk in front of his own work table. Harriet not knowing what to do, sat and observed the opposing wall, littered in shelves that showed a variety of magic instruments, from steel pentacles to assemblages that looked close to torture devices.

“Those are off-limits, miss Potter.” He warned her with a smirk.

She looked down to her desk, realizing she had been looking at everything so intently that she didn’t notice when he had turned around and focused on her.

“What am I supposed to do, professor?”

“Transfiguration practice. To assure that your magic won’t go overboard another time.”

She winced at the harsh reminder but took out her wand, ready to try. Maybe that without McGonagall around, she could manage more than one correct transformation.

“No need for your wand for the moment. Take a quill, miss Potter.”

She complied, not sure what Snape wanted to do. When he dropped a pile of parchments on her desk, she felt slightly overwhelmed. Each parchment was littered with questions about objects’ structures and elemental constitution.

“Is that something McGonagall…”

“You will raise your hand if you want to ask a question, miss Potter.” Severus warned her, running one hand through his dark locks.

They had been greasy eight months ago, but she could tell they were clean and wondered how Lily had managed to break a lifetime habit. She raised her hand:

“Am I supposed to answer all of this tonight?”

“Complete a parchment and then you’ll practice with the object involved. You’ll get through ten transfigurations before detention is over.” He stated.

His eyes were resigned and his whole posture cried boredom. Harriet decided to forgo the question about whose idea it was that her detention turned into a remedial class and focused on the first parchment. It was about tea cup and dices. She felt her resolve waver as she remembered the humiliation of that first class. But Snape was getting back to his own books and parchments. She started answering the questions to the best of her knowledge. It wasn’t exactly easy and she had to ask Snape for a few reference books, but he had them ready for her. After half an hour, she’d gotten through the first parchment and could take her wand out. Snape didn’t give her any direction or incentive. He didn’t look at her as she followed the movement and said the spell. The teacup shivered and Harriet closed her eyes not to see the change. If it was wrong, it meant she couldn’t transform anything ever and she wasn’t sure she could take it. After five minutes, Snape cleared his throat.

“Miss Potter, I’d rather not spend the next year in detention.”

She jumped and looked at her work, to realize a die, without scale, without fins, a simple, honest to goodness die was waiting on her desk.

“I really did it?!”

“Professor Evans designed this to help you understand another side of transfiguration. Of course you would manage. Now get on the next parchment.”

She couldn’t feel mad even if he was belittling her achievement. She had managed a perfect transformation on her first try. She tried not to get excited, but it was easier said then done. Aunt Lily had worked hard on making those questions to guide her in the execution of every spell. While Harriet looked far too happy to be on detention, Severus swore to himself that if the girl got herself in trouble again, he wouldn’t go as easy on her. This was simply the logical outcome. Student that didn’t control their magic needed directions, not coercion. He had faced far enough coercion himself to know what he was talking about.

Although, when Harriet managed to transform an empty flask into a rabid cat and shrieked in a panic, Snape thought of exacting revenge for the stuff the cat managed to broke before he froze it. The girl had her strength and it seemed her transfigurations spells were extremely volatile if she didn’t control her emotions. This was only her fifth parchment he realized. Lily’d better make it up to him, because he was currently mustering all the patience he would have been using during November…

To be continued…


	7. Spelled speech

“Before we resume our discussion over class XX creatures, I’d like to mention that miss Potter was incredibly lucky when she bargained her traveling rights with an Acromentula last Friday.” Quirrell declared. “Acromentulas are highly venomous and usually like eating human flesh. There are classified as …

“XXXXX creatures, professor!” Granger interfered.

“Yes, which mean that they are among the most dangerous living creature in our world. I’m telling you this as a warning. This particular Acromentula was trained by our gamekeeper to be amiable to human, most of the times, but other of her kind wouldn’t think twice before reaping any of us to shreds.”

The vivid description was enough to turn Harriet white and Draco snickered at her reaction, before that Quirrell asked him what he had been riding himself.

“A Runespoor, professor. It’s an African specie…”

“How dangerous is it, mister Malfoy?”

“Huh… Around fourth rank?”

“Greatly dangerous then. His fangs are venomous too. Being a Parseltongue may have saved you from a very slow and painful dead.”

Tracey whispered to Harriet:

“Is it me, or is the professor a little more dramatic than usual?”

Harriet nodded eagerly, feeling a little bit relieved to see that her friend was getting better. Davies had had a bad cold and was regaining some colors finally. She was allergic to most tonics and needed to wait out on her health to stabilize alone. Harriet’s training on Monday morning had been taxing and she was dreading the next séance scheduled with Snape, right before her transfiguration class. The traps all over the school had already grown larger and she had fallen into two of them, being rescued by Neville once and managing to rescue herself the second time.

“Professor, was it really alright to use such dangerous creatures in the trials when we take into account the fact that there was a lot of first-years among the contestants?”

Granger was a little obnoxious at time, but she made a good point. Quirrell churned on his lower lip before to answer:

“Wrestomb is a harsh sport and contestants are called to face opponents that can be five years older and more experienced. I was a wrestomb player during my own years at Hogwarts and I must say that there is no way to learn faster and better than the ordeals we face in this sport. The ministry might want to be less hard on you, but creating separate teams for seven years of student would be a lot of trouble, wouldn’t you agree, miss Granger?”

The explanation wasn’t entirely satisfying, although it was honest. Quirrell was a nice teacher, bringing a new living specimen each week. He was good at scaring the students, pointing out all the reasons why this creature or that one shouldn’t be approached by unexperienced wizards. Having travelled over the world for some unclear reason – surely a thirst for adventure, Neville had suggested – he was well-versed in creatures outside of England and seemed to prefer covering exotic subjects.

 …

Lily Evans was a great teacher, but during today’s class, she appeared disturbed, if not outright restless. She was teaching them the Blemish Blitzer potion, a simple, skin-healing mixture. First year’s potions were mostly about healing or non life-threatening side effects. Lily could often be heard arguing with Severus about the potions that should be learned and those that shouldn’t. A potion that made its drinker confused sounded completely stupid to the potion-maker, but her boyfriend thought that any potions that was in a student book should be taught, in case of unskilled tries. Anything wrongly mixed and brewed could easily turned into a poison, if not something worse.

Harriet exchanged a look with Neville as Lily vaporized a cauldron’s content, scrunching her nose in disapprobation.

“We’ll start over for this one.” She said, quickly gathering ingredients and seemingly forwarding the brewing with a flick of her wand. Lavender Brown looked ready to cry as the teacher busied herself on her working station, as if that meant she had no skill and no chance to muster any even if she tried.

“Professor Evans, is everything alright?” Harriet asked.

“I don’t know, miss Potter. Let me see how your mix is coming. This won’t do either.”

She vaporized the offending potion, which Harriet was sure to complete in time, since everything was going according to plan.

“Why are you all using dragon’s claw powder?!” she protested angrily.

Lily never yelled and her eyes were so wide, Dudley himself, who was usually pretty oblivious, got alarmed.

“Professor Evans, this isn’t funny.” Granger tried.

“Of course it’s not. You’re all ruining perfectly good ingredients!”

The potion asked for dragon’s claw powder and Lily had been perfectly fine with it at the beginning of the class. Harriet wished she had read that chapter over possession or the one over the spells a person could be put under. Ron swore out loud when Lily kicked his cauldron to the side, spilling the content on the floor.

“Mom?” Neville tried.

She froze and turned toward Longbottom, her eyes throwing daggers and her mouth opening to say something that could never be taken back. Harriet raised her wand, but someone else was faster, yelling:

“Immobulus!”

Granger stood, her wand extended and for a moment the class remained quiet, everyone under shock.

“Did you just attacked a teacher?” Dudley squealed.

The fact he didn’t mention it was his aunt felt wrong to Harriet, but a lot of things felt wrong right now.

“She wasn’t herself.” Hermione retorted. “I don’t know what happened to her, but this is not professor Evans.”

“I’ll go find miss Pomfrey,” Harriet said, bolting out of the room. She was surprised to encounter McGonagall only four steps into her run.

“What are you doing outside of class, miss Potter?”

“There’s an emergency, professor McGonagall. It’s aun… professor Evans. We think she’s been placed under a curse.”

The headmistress frowned but took action despite her annoyance.

“Lead me to her. I hope you aren’t pulling a trick on me, or it will be 40 points from Slytherin.”

Upon entering the classroom, which was filled with puzzled and worried students, McGonagall realized that Harriet hadn’t been lying. She hadn’t removed the immobilizing spell put on Lily more than a second that the younger witch jumped at her throat. Without a word, the transfiguration teacher froze Evans on the spot and took a deep breath.

“Class is dismissed. Potter, go get professor Snape. Longbottom, get Pomfrey. The rest of you, get back to your common rooms. If you don’t, it will be ten points less for each of you.”

Everyone obeyed, Harriet wondering how grave the situation was. Dudley followed Neville, asking him what was going on. She would have want to make sure her friend was fine, but every minute she lingered was another minute with Lily under that strange spell. She found Snape in his office, neck deep in parchment. She hadn’t knocked and he seemed angered by the interruption, until she told him what it was all about.

An hour later, Lily was waking up in the infirmary, un-cursed but confused. Neville had been authorized to wait next door with both Dudley and Harriet while Pomfrey worked her magic. The three teenagers hadn’t exchanged a word, Harriet simply holding Neville’s hand while Dudley stared at the wall in front of them. They could hear McGonagall arguing with Snape, but most of it was muffled by the walls. When the headmistress walked out, she told them that professor Evans was back to normal.

Harriet had never seen her so angry. She warily followed Neville into the infirmary, Dudley right on their heels.

“I was cursed? What did I do?”

“From what I could gather, you bullied your students.” Snape told her teasingly.

“This is not funny at all. The poor children! How… I don’t remember anything different from usual. What kind of curse was it Pomfrey?”

“A angry one. It messed with your head poor girl. But you should be fine now.”

“Could you retrace the magic, Severus?” Lily insisted, clearly distressed that she could be put under a curse without her knowledge.

“It’s really faint. Whoever did this was well trained. We’ll go over everything you did today and yesterday together and find out who did this to you.” He swore to her.

That was the moment the adults realized the teenagers’ presence.

“Neville, Harriet, come over here!” Lily asked instantly, looking ready to apologize.

There were a few hugs and some shaking shoulders, but all seemed to end well. Although Harriet wondered how a curse strong enough to take over a witch as experienced as her aunt Lily could get inside Hogwarts. She wrote a letter to her father, taking that occasion to ask him what kind of work he did. Echo was happy to have somewhere to run off to and came back two days later, a letter strapped to her front leg. Remus was evasive, but mentioned tracking, while warning her to be as careful as possible. From the delay in Echo’s return, Harriet guessed her father had to move around a lot to track whatever or whoever he was tracking. It sounded a lot like hunting and she wondered if it was a real job. If so, what could it be and who was his boss?

Still wondering about Remus’ secretive attitude, Harriet used her spare time to venture to the library, where she usually met Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw always eager to chat and exchange about their studies.

When she met Granger outside of classes, Harriet tried to engage the conversation, but the young genius ignored her superbly. There wasn’t a girl or a guy who was friend with her. For some reason, Hermione Granger kept everyone at a distance. She was perfect as a student, always on time, always knowing every answer, mastering spells as if she had created each and every of them. She was cold with her peers, sometimes suggesting changes in pronunciation or wand movement, always with an annoyed voice. Harriet knew Granger’s only fail at Hogwarts had been the qualifications for Wrestomb. She didn’t exactly resent her for her attitude. Except when she talked badly to Neville. The boy would get shy and close up whenever it happened and Harriet knew how far along he’d come.

It was when Granger started siding with McGonagall to torment her during transfiguration’s class that she decided she had taken enough. Malfoy and Granger were now both on her pranking list. She just needed to find the right way to do it. And Tracey sounded quite ready for mischief, so did Neville and Ron. The four of them met a lot, outside the castle mostly. Ron especially loved walking along the forbidden forest, Hagrid’s scarlet dog often joining in his walks. They would walk, revise together and mess around most of the time. Tracey was often covered in two or three more layers of clothes than the others, but she didn’t mind, being accepted by both Gryffindor boys despite belonging to the Slytherin house.

As the training for Wrestomb intensified and as the exams before Christmas got closer, Harriet realized she hadn’t thought of the lake again. Lily had gotten back to normal and Snape had a suspect for the angering curse. The shiny stone still weighed heavily in Harriet’s bag, warning her about a danger and a potential rescue. She sneaked out in the middle of the night, evading traps, Filch and even Peeves, until she was standing on the lake’s bank, her breaths making visible puffs in the air. She took the risk of diving on a cold November night. It was a bad idea, she knew it, but when she turned into a turtle, the cold couldn’t reach her anymore. She dove as deep as she dared, discovering the merpeople and evading Grindylows. While the world outside slept, the lake was filled with life. And before that she could get to the bottom, a tentacle grabbed her and brought her toward a terrifying mouth. The turtle’s instincts were to struggle and bite.

Harriet didn’t listen and changed back into her human form without thinking. She was not getting eaten by the giant squid. Surely not. The water’s pressure hurt her ears but soon, she was being dragged upward and before she could entirely comprehend what was happening, she was back in the open air, freezing but alive, held up by a red and glossy tentacle.

“So you won’t eat a student, huh? Good to know.”

 _Mea culpa._ A boy’s voice whispered in her head.

“You’re not talking? Are you some kind of telepathic creature?”

_I’m talking to your mens._

“To my what? Can you put me down? Or talk perfect English?”

_Sorry, impossibile._

“Was it you who wrote the message on the stone you threw at me the other day?”

The voice let out a deep sigh and Harriet forgot the cold, wondering why the squid’s voice sounded so young.

_You shouldn’t stay here in the frigore. Come back after winter, we’ll loqar._

“But someone needs to be rescued.”

While she talked, the squid raised himself and brought her closer to the bank, letting her off to stand in the water.

_I wasn’t sure anyone would read lapis._

“I read it. Did you write it? What did you mean by noxa?”

_Noxa means great harm. Damage everywhere, to everyone. She’s noxa and she’s doom._

“Are you really a squid? I’d never read squid could talk. And who is she?”

_Give me a name, puella._

“I’m Harriet Potter. And you’d better have answers when I come back in spring.”

She felt more worried than before, although a few answers had been given. But the squid was right, she was going to freeze alive if she remained there. So she turned her back on the squid and the lake and sneaked back into the castle. Unfortunately, this time, she didn’t elude everyone. She wasn’t as fast since the cold had numbed her feet.

“Who’s out into the night?” Filch asked angrily. “And what are you doing, drenched like this? You realize the floor won’t mope itself, girl?”

The man was old, but still incredibly vigorous. He grabbed Harriet’s arm in vice-like grip and brought her in front of a precise painting, where one annoyed McGonagall appeared after a bit of nagging.

“Miss Potter? Was she lurking around the school’s corridors at night, Filch?”

“A perfect deduction as always, headmistress. What should I do with her?”

“Escort her back to her dorm for the moment. I’ll see that she goes in detention for a full week.”

Harriet wondered if being up past curfew called for such drastic measures but knew she would only worsen her case if she argued. Filch escorted her, ranting about the punishments he could inflict on students back in the good old days. She was still drenched and more cold than ever when she finally found herself alone in the common room entrance. To her surprise, one student was still waiting next to the fire place and when she recognized Tracey, she wondered if something was wrong.

“What are you doing still up?” Harriet asked through her chattering teeth.

“I could ask you the same question. I was ill in the middle of the night and noticed you weren’t there. You do realize you have practice tomorrow and… Holy mackerels, you’re soaked! What did you do?”

Harriet let herself fall in front of the fire place, exhausted and tired of hiding things.

“If I told you I went for a swim in the lake, what would you say?”

“That you’re suicidal. But there must be a reason behind this. If you truly dived in the lake…”

“Tracey, I haven’t told this to anyone yet. It felt wrong.”

Her friend looked alarmed and Harriet didn’t realize how weird and dark it could sound. She quickly showed her the stone, the message engraved in it, explaining her strange encounter with the giant squid and the few words they’d exchanged. At first, Tracey couldn’t believe her. But after Harriet turned herself into a turtle right before her eyes, the frail girl admitted that anything was possible in their world of magic.

“He talked about a woman or a female person and called her doom? You don’t think the squid meant… she-who-must-not-be-named?”

The idea had barely registered in Harriet’s head, but it was highly possible. The old clock in a corner indicated three am and the cold had settled inside Harriet’s bones, leaving her as shivering mess of sheets and short hair.

“You should change clothes and go to bed,” Tracey told her. “You have training at six with Hagrid tomorrow and you won’t be able to get through it if you catch a cold.”

“And you’d better sleep too.” Harriet realized.

Her friend was fragile and Pansy would be mean enough to hint on her premature death every time Tracey looked a little green or unwell. Which happened quite often.

“I don’t know if I could. How could the giant squid know anything about you-know-who?”

It took them another full hour of speculations and conspirator theories to reluctantly get back into their beds, both mentally exhausted but overly excited all the same. Tracey had an adventurous mind and Harriet knew this was pretty big, although other students certainly discovered stranger things in their own schools.

When early morning came and Harriet managed to slip out of her bed, she was shivering, too confused and sleepy to eat and already late for her training sessions. She ran to Hagrid’s house, was yelled at by Marcus and shoved on a makeshift ring to practice wrestling against Draco. The boy looked pissed and was clearly ready to take his anger out on her. Harriet would have wanted to do the same, but her body was slow and her movements uncoordinated. Malfoy pushed her face down on the ring, holding her arm in her back so high she could feel tears stinging her eyes.

“Who the hell are you with, Potter? Always hanging around with Gryffindors like this moron Longbottom. I’m sick of hearing Marcus praising you.” He muttered in her ear.

“You’re supposed to use speechless magic, not mean words, Malfoy.”

“You think the other kids will be nice to you when the wrestomb matches will start? You think you can be friend with every freaking house?”

She didn’t know where this was coming, but the more she squirmed, the higher he pulled her arm and soon the bone would break and she couldn’t focus through the pain, couldn’t think through the haze of her own fatigue.

“Malfoy!” Hagrid called. “Release her right this instant!”

“Not before you admit it, Potter. You lost us 50 points with your escapade last night. Or maybe you think no one knew yet?”

This was the first news she had of this. But she had been caught with her hand in the bag, so to speak.

_One week of detention and a Draco that wants to kill me? That’s just wonderful, McGonagall._

If she didn’t know better, she would say that the transfiguration teacher was her own personal she-who-must-be-named.

To be continued…


	8. A thin white lie

Harriet felt fresh tears on her cheeks when Malfoy let her go, shame eating away at her heart. She realized this had been going on for too long, whatever was happening with Draco and her. It would only escalate and since he had been the one hurting her directly this time, not using Goyle or Crabe, and since he was training to get stronger, she didn’t want to think what he could do in a few years.

“You want to ask for allegiance or something? This is supposed to be a school,” she reminded him through gritted teeth.

“And we’re supposed to be a team,” Terrence intervened, walking up to the ring where Draco stood and Harriet was now sitting, cradling her arm to her chest. “This kind of behavior will not be tolerated here. We can break down opponents, not team mates. Malfoy, you’re apologizing to Potter. And you two will start working together or one of you will be off the team if I have a word to say about it.”

He left them to focus back on his own training, taming some Grindylows, Hagrid having insisted that they would be in the next match. Harriet took a deep breath, drying her tears angrily while Draco looked even more pissed then before.

“I’m not taking back what I said.” He warned her.

“I might take back my comment about your father. I didn’t mean to be harsh. And I’m almost sorry for the black goo trick.”

His grey eyes widened at her admission, but if he felt any anger, he swallowed it back until she continued:

“This doesn’t mean that you’re not a moron or a brat. But we’re going to be in the same house for the next seven years and I’d rather not commit murder before I’m an adult. I’d go to Azkaban either way, so let’s delay that option as much as possible.”

“Did you just insult me, Potter?”

The fact he made no gesture to attack her told Harriet she was going along the right tracks. She rose to her feet, gingerly using her sore arm to raise herself. The pain was still strong and her bones seemed to shift together, making her gnash her teeth. Malfoy finally had the decency of looking slightly ashamed.

“Just a taste of your own medicine. Now, can we call a truce? A least until next week’s match?”

“Is this really a war for you?” he sighed, crossing his arms defensively.

“I don’t know anymore. But I know that if you’re angry because of my friends, you’ll be angry a long time. So deal with it without trying to break my arm.”

At any other time, Draco would have considered that she’d gone too far. But right now, he felt somewhat bad about his conduct and he had to concede he’d been a brat here and there.

“So I can break anything else?” he tried as a feeble joke, not understanding just how much it meant.

Harriet blinked twice, unable to realize this was a good kind of teasing until he laughed in her face. Marcus interrupted their interlude, ordering Harriet to get back to duel training while Malfoy would join Adrian’s taming practice. The young girl barely managed to realize a truce had been reached when the morning of the match arrived. December was upon them, she was managing through half of her transfigurations and Lupin’s letters were rarer with every passing week. The match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor would be on the following week. In their last exchanges, Cho had literally asked her if she held any grudge from their wrestling match.

“I didn’t think I could win that trial anyway and you went easy on me. I don’t resent you. Why? Isn’t Wrestomb a sport played in good fun?”

“Of course, but we also play to win. So I don’t want you to have hard feeling about us winning.” Cho said quickly.

It seemed she was pressured by her peers to win and since it was her first year competing for the team, she was just as nervous as Harriet. The slytherin girl befriending people from other houses wasn’t entirely uncommon, but it made people talk.

“Okay. We’ll see about it.” Harriet answered, giving her a smile that was mainly due to wishful thinking.

…

“Sev?”

The defense teacher sighed against her shoulder, his warm breath giving goosebumps to the young woman.

“Did you really had to hire Lupin as if he was some mercenary?”

“You weren’t supposed to know that. And you weren’t supposed to be cursed by some random wizard either. Lupin was going crazy and he’s a good tracker. He found Pettigrew and soon he’ll found Lockhart.”

Lily had been shocked to realize her curse had been hidden in a letter she’d received from her usual delivery owl. Gilderoy Lockhart was a man known for his dashing smile and heart-broken ex-witches. The seducer was also rumored to have a great mastery at erasing memories with powerful memory charms. Many of his wrathful exes had been hexed into oblivion, left with barely enough memory to walk and eat. When she’d received a letter from him in early November, Lily had been cautious, but not extremely alarmed. She had rebuked Lockhart advances at the end of her seventh school year and had remained on friendly terms with him, receiving news from him every now and then. His letter had been the usual, although she felt funny after reading it. Upon closer inspection, Severus had discovered traces of a magical powder which could be used to anger someone. By touching the paper, the red haired witch had been contaminated and slowly fell under the spell.

“I know Pettigrew has been feeding the enemy with information for all these years, but I’m not sure what Lockhart’s aims could have been.”

“I don’t care about those details.”

They were lying in bed in the early morning before the competition. If McGonagall knew they sometime shared each other rooms, she might go crazy with propriety speeches, but Snape wasn’t afraid of the headmistress when Lily was involved in the matter. Snuggled close, unable to sleep and not ready to get up, they were both musing over the latest news. She-who-must-not-be-named hadn’t attacked anything recently, but the Men Eaters had kept themselves busy. The ministry of magic had been attacked twice and Cornelius Fudge had barricaded himself, sending his orders to his personnel via patronus only.

“There isn’t a way to make one person uncursable, is there?”

She turned around in his arms, inching closer to him and for an instant he remembered being like this with someone else and his heart ached for reasons he couldn’t explain. The memory vanished before he could picture a face or even a name. He hated those brief impressions he would get every now and then and hoped Lily didn’t notice anything. Her green eyes seemed sad for an instant.

“Are you still sleepy, Sev?”

He shook his head and stole a brief kiss from her, stealing her breath and all he could steal to give back afterwards. To be only with her. To think only of her. That had been his life at one point and even that had been taken away, while half erased memories ate up his peace of mind at night. There might be a curse on him. Or remnants, he couldn’t tell. If he could keep Lily protected and safe, it would be enough. He had been promised this much in exchange for the tortures but now wasn’t the time to dwell on pain, not with her fingers in his hair and her lips on his.

When they parted, the ache was back, stronger, because he already missed her and the peace she gave him.

“I think I’m going to need another of your potions soon.” He admitted after getting dressed.

She was about to walk out the door, about to sneak back to the Great Hall ahead of him, as if they were back to being teenagers when they’d never share anything like this as teenagers.

“Nightmares again?” she ventured, right once more.

He shook his head in a positive sign. There was nothing positive about it. Nothing that could ease the pain etched to her eyes. One last kiss for the day. Brief caresses and sweet breathes on his cheek. How could he miss anyone else than her? What had they done to him? And who were _they_?

….

“Today’s match will be divided in two tasks. Taming and dueling.” McGonagall announced.

Harriet wasn’t nervous. She didn’t jump each time Marcus talked to her and whenever someone in the crowd waved at her. Harriet wasn’t a literal nervous wreck, not her, not Harriet Potter raised by Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Harriet was a ball of nerves and her stomach had been jittery and untrustworthy the night before and right before breakfast and she could bet she would be sick another time. If only Draco wasn’t sick right next to her, it would be easier to hold it back.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Potter. You’ll be right with me,” Marcus told her with a smile.

Dueling at this stage of the competition meant two against two matches. Harriet had crammed as many spells as she could in her head and felt as if her eyes could burst out of their sockets. Against them were Cho and a Ravenclaw fifth year. For the taming, a maximum of five creatures would be offered to each team and the one taming successfully the highest number of creatures would win. If there was a tie, it would mean one point for every team. Malfoy went up first, backed by Terrence. The first creatures were a group of Grindylows, then feral ghouls that proved a bigger problem, for both team. The third creature, a Pogrebin, almost drove the Ravenclaw girl to despair, but was subdued by both team. The fourth creature however was too much to handle and Harriet couldn’t put a name on it even if she tried to remember every book she read from Lupin’s shelves.

“We have a tie between Slytherin and Ravenclaw for now. The dueling phase will prove essential in determining a winner!” Lee Jordan observed.

 _Thanks for the pressure_ , Harriet thought angrily.

She stood elbow to elbow with Marcus, her wand ready. Her main opponent was Cho, since the older Ravenclaw was more experienced than her. One instant the world was quiet and suddenly, there was fire and sparkles of magic everywhere. She kept bouncing-spell shields around her, glad to have mastered that spell, but was surprised when Cho managed a silent jinx on her. After one full hour of dueling that got every contestant bloodied and breathless, McGonagall called a tie on the match. Harriet could barely stand on her feet and didn’t know if she would even be able to muster another spell even if it could save her life. Marcus didn’t look much better. His parting handshake with the opposing team’s captain looked more as if both guys were trying to crush each other’s hands.

Half an hour later, Harriet was glad to say it was over. Although McGonagall had declared her detention would be under her direction this time around.  Before she could exchange a word with any friend outside the team, the headmistress had whisked her to the castle grounds and was walking towards the forbidden forest.

“We’re not going in the forbidden forest, professor?”

“Well, Albus Rutherfood Dumbledore once told me that if a student was found doing something forbidden, the best way to prevent him or her from doing it again was to show the student why it had been forbidden in the first place.”

Harriet didn’t like that, her freshly showered hair clinging to her nape, her wand slipping in her moist palm. She flexed her fingers and eyed the lake an instant. Swimming in there wasn’t forbidden. Going out of Hogwarts at night was highly forbidden, but since she had supposedly been out, McGonagall could make the conclusions she wanted.

“Is there a purpose to us visiting the forbidden forest?”

“Someone has been lurking around the castle.” Minerva answered her.

“I’m not sure I should…”

“This is exactly the feeling I want you to nurture from this expedition, miss Potter. Now, clap your mouth and be ready to protect yourself. Our invader shouldn’t be too deep in the woods. Unless he’d make a pact with the Centaurs and I don’t fancy him for that kind of man.”

There was a few strident howls and Harriet wondered why the night had fallen so quickly. The match had taken place at midday and lasted for about three hours. With the departure of everyone, it was still fairly early. But the sun was already setting and she noticed the moon, almost full as it dangled between clouds. Her thoughts went to her father, who was tracking something or someone. They slipped beneath the cover of the trees, McGonagall using the lumos charm but ordering Harriet to refrain from shedding any light of her own.

“From now, you’ll be my shadow, young girl. Walk in my steps and don’t lose me.”

 McGonagall was walking fast and Harriet followed eagerly, afraid of being left in the dark forest. The path the headmistress took seemed almost random, and Harriet was wondering if she wasn’t planning to simply lose her in the woods and head back to school, to pick her back up by the end of the week. She wouldn’t put it past her teacher, while the cold intensified. The tree branches were low enough to bump into her, sometimes pulling on her cloak’s sleeves. She shook them off as quickly and silently as possible, following the long and steady steps of her detention master. She could hear creaking sounds and wings flapping over her head. The forest was definitely filled with life.

What class of living creature, she didn’t know and wasn’t sure she wanted to. Movement behind her and a laugh from McGonagall made her jump.

“No playing hide and seek with me, Lockhart! You have nothing to do around those grounds.”

A roar answered the transfiguration professor.

“A rodent too? I’ll take care of you both.”

Harriet wasn’t sure if McGonagall remembered that an eleven year old girl was supposed to follow her when she took off into a run. For a middle-aged woman, Minerva had a light step. Harriet managed to keep her in sight a whole total of five minutes. A green light in her general direction surged and vanished almost instantly, convincing Harriet to stay away from the headmistress. She hadn’t seen a lot of nice spells with green effects. And the roaring and groaning was getting closer to her, while a ruffle of leaves had her raising her head.

There was a man in the trees. Jumping, almost flying from one branch to the next. She heard his laugh before that something furry and a lot taller than her pounced her into the ground. Her forehead hit a thick root and she felt blood in her nose as something in her left arm snapped. She blinked, her wand slipping from her shaking fingers. A warm breath in her neck preceded wetness. Saliva? She was going to be eaten while McGonagall chased some guy with squirrel-like-abilities?

Harriet tried a stunning spell, throwing it blindly over her shoulder. The mass of muscles tackling her to the ground shuffled backward and she finally managed to look at it through the mud covering her face and the blood slowly dripping through her parted lips. The thing was a werewolf. A skinny, tall, greyish werewolf with blue eyes that reminded her of someone very familiar. The beast snarled at her, but was too dizzied to get back on its feet immediately. There was something hurt in its eyes, something that wasn’t animalistic and suddenly, Harriet knew.

Remus. His tracking job. The fact she couldn’t show up at home and he had trouble answering her letters. How could he be in wolf form at this time of the month? How could he control it enough to…

“Da…”

Recognition filled his deformed features and he backed away, before to freeze and raise his eyes. There was a spell hurled in the rushing wind, the words muffled by the trees’ foliage. Harriet felt the earth shaking beneath her and covered her head, diving for cover. When the worst of the false earthquake was over, she realized the werewolf was gone. And she couldn’t hear anything from the forest, except muffled whispers.

“I almost had him this time.” McGonagall sighed, walking back to Harriet’s spot.

Noticing her student, covered in filth and blood, the headmistress seemed to regain her senses.

“Miss Potter? Did you lose me? What attacked you? Oh, forget it! Up, up, we’ll finish this discussion inside the castle. You might be a tad too young to be my shadow, aren’t you?”

“I don’t even know what you mean,” the young girl replied, getting up with her arm hanging at a weird angle.

“Should I fix that and have you not learned why it’s dangerous to be outside the castle at night?”

Harriet wasn’t sure the teacher would help her if she replied correctly to her trick question. She knew she would go out at night again despite curfews and rules. She had to if she wanted to learn more about what the giant squid knew. She nodded curtly and was rewarded with a quick healing spell.

“I hope you know how to clean yourself. I’m escorting you back to the castle and will be contacting you as soon as I find what should be your next detention.”

Harriet didn’t protest, but waited a little while to ask one of the few questions she had running in her head. The greatest one was about Remus, but she wouldn’t mention him to McGonagall.

“Did you saw Lockhart?”

“Only a bit. A nasty bit of him. This man is an animal.”

Harriet frowned, not sure she understood. Fortunately, the castle was opening its door and she could rush back to the slytherin’s table. On her way there, Neville caught her wrist and pulled her in the chair next to him.

“Huh, Nev, this is the wrong table for me.”

“Just a minute, Harriet. I need to know what happened exactly. Where have you been? We were supposed to revise your dueling match and exchange tips over Ravenclaw and we’ll do the same next week about Hufflepuff.”

“I was in detention. In the forbidden forest.”

“For real? I love the forbid… How was it?” Ronald asked her, leaning over the table in her direction.

He had a wide expectant grin on his face and Harriet noticed the tiny dark bag beneath his eyes.

“Frightening. It might sound crazy, but do you know anything about werewolves?”

Ron hastily pulled away, his cheeks heating up.

“Sure, I know a bit. Who’s asking?”

She ignored his unease while Neville’s eyes were going from Ron to Harriet as he puzzled what she could be after.

“It’s not the full moon tonight.”

“Of course not,” he snapped almost angrily. “Why?”

“I saw a werewolf. A fully transformed werewolf. And I wondered if it was possible to transform even when…”

A spell blew up the pie in front of Ron, throwing hot meat on everyone’s face. The red-haired boy gritted his teeth together, his head turning toward Georgie, who smiled at him, sitting two places further.

“Whatever this is about, it’s not the time or place to have this discussion.” She declared.

“I’ll talk to you later, Neville, I swear, I’m just…”

Harriet was at a loss of word and her friend let her go, clearly understanding what she couldn’t voice. She felt lost and betrayed. Why was Remus out in the wild, playing the big bad wolf? How come he hadn’t recognized her instantly?

She borrowed parchment from Tracey and wrote furiously a single line on the letter she was sending her father.

_Tracking? In that state? What are you doing, dad?_

To be continued…


	9. Blank christmas

Remus didn’t answer for days. The only letter told her to get home for Christmas. Harriet was over her fear, but not over her puzzlement. When she had tried speaking with Lily, it was only to receive a warning.

“Next time someone drags you to the forbidden forest, you just stun them with a Stupefy and run back to the castle.”

“But it was the headmis…”

“I’m serious Harriet. You shouldn’t go to the forbidden forest before to be at least fifteen and if you’d completed your O.W.L.s with flying colors, it would be even better.”

“It was a detention.”

“It was a preposterous way of putting you in danger and McGonagall knows it full well. The next time she tries anything like that, you come right to me.”

“But I had a question about…”

“Harriet, I’m really busy and you’ll run late for your magical creatures’ class. We’ll talk some more on the holidays.”

Lily wasn’t exactly harsh, but quite elusive. Harriet knew something was definitely up and wouldn’t let it go. Grown-ups had hidden too many things from her for too long.

“I need to learn about werewolves,” she told Neville and Ron as they walked along the school grounds.

“You already know an awful lot about those,” her best friend reminded her while Weasley looked on edge once more. Tracey caught up to them, just coming out from Pomfrey’s office. The poor girl was running a small fever, again.

“Should you really be out, Trace? You were already burning up this morning,” Harriet worried out loud.

“I’m sick of being stuck inside that dorm. Echo is nice to play with, but I need people to talk to. What have you said to make Ron nervous this time, Harriet?”

“She said she needed to learn about werewolves.” Neville explained, while Ron tried to regain his composure.

“I’m n…not nervous!”

“You’re stuttering, which you never do! Does werewolves make you that uncomfortable?”

“Don’t ever suggest something like that, Davies. My ancestors would spring out of their graves! I don’t know why Harriet must be this obsessed with them. Werewolves I mean.”

Neville frowned.

“You shouldn’t dig your own grave like that, mate. If we hadn’t doubts before, you’re most suspicious now.”

Tracey and Harriet had developed a theory about the Weasleys. Although Persephone looked quiet, the twins and Ron all shared the same uncanny charisma and tendency for ruckus. Ron had already been in detention twice and his glare could even make Malfoy falter. Older students would show respect in front of him for no apparent reason and he would always get fidgety whenever anyone mentioned wolves around him.

“I don’t think I’m going to like this.” The boy sighed, crossing his arms over his chest defensively as the whole group stopped in the middle of their usual trail, a few meters away from the forbidden forest.

“Last week was the full moon,” Tracey whispered. “And Neville said you, the twins and Perse were all gone for a full day. So did you the three other full moons.”

Ron’s brown eyes seemed to fill up with fears before that he took a deep breath.

“We’re good friends, guys. I’d rather keep it that way. But if you have something to say, just say it.”

“Are you a werewolf?” Harriet asked.

Ron should have laughed it off if it was false, but his face turned grim instead.

“Mom knew I would screw up before Christmas…” he muttered to himself. “What if I am? You want to get me expelled?”

Neville looked alarmed and shook his head.

“Of course not. Harriet just wanted to know… Her own father is a werewolf.”

“Hey! That’s a secret Neville!”

Tracey’s eyes had widened, but she decided to focus on the matter at hand, immediately understanding why Harriet was so set on making sure if the Weasleys were werewolves or not.

“Let’s not get sidetracked. Ron, you haven’t done anything to hurt us and we don’t want you expelled, fully human or not.”

Ron’s eyes twitched and he looked away.

“Fully human? Wow. I’m glad to be your friend. Nev, I think those girls have too much bite for me to handle.”

As he tried to walk away, Tracey grabbed him by the sleeve, looking pale and ashamed of her bad choice of words.

“Man up, Ron, we don’t know how to address it, but we’re still your friends,” Harriet insisted. “I was trying to get your help without forcing you to spill the beans the other day but your sisters got in the way, getting everyone’s attention.”

It took a few minutes for the boy to settle his mind. He was torn up and gave up after meeting all of his friends’ hopeful eyes. They weren’t scared of him. If Harriet’s father was a wolf too, and if Neville had always known, then he shouldn’t have to worry much.

“We can’t talk here. Let’s go in the woods.”

“Are you mad?!” Tracey retorted.

“You think you’ll get attacked with me around?”

He had a daring smile now, all back to showing off. Harriet wondered if Lockhart was still hiding in the woods. After a little debate, with the main argument being that one eleven years old wolf couldn’t be that threatening to other creatures and Ron holding his ground, they ended up slipping under the cover of the trees. It was following him now and proving they trusted him or parting ways forever.

It wasn’t until they were half a mile in and the castle grounds weren’t visible that Ron stopped. He kept his back to them at first, mustering his courage to say it out loud.

“I was born a werewolf. We’re a pack since two generations, all the Weasleys. My six sisters are all wolves. And kickass at that. Charlie has started a pack of her own in the north. Most of us stay in the wizard world though. Father used to work in the ministry, protecting Muggles’ sector. Got killed defending helpless people and was reduced to ash before we could ever give him a funeral when _they_ learned what he was for real.”

He turned back to them, clearly expecting a rejection of some sort. His face was so white; all the freckles were way too visible in comparison. Neville’s eyes didn’t change, and Harriet gave him a pained smile while Tracey looked conflicted.

“I know how hard it is. But I need your help, because you must know more than anyone on the subject of being a werewolf.”

“It’s still about finding a way to transform without a full moon? Only experienced born wolves can do that, and it takes years of practice. Your father was bitten, wasn’t he?”

Harriet nodded.

“Sorry about that. Some wolves have no principles.”

“I could swear I saw him in wolf form, three or two days before the full moon.”

Ron frowned in concentration.

“Freddie told me of some potion once. It’s not recommended, but it can give control over the wolf all month-round, even to bitten people. It’s not cheap and have some bloody serious after-effects though. I hope your father has one solid constitution.”

Remus was strong and enduring, but Harriet wouldn’t say solid. Maybe once, but… The shifting had been chipping away at his health for all those years. She felt only more fears piling up at the idea he could be pushing himself.

“I guess that’s more than I could have asked for.” Harriet whispered. “Thanks Ron.”

“Don’t thank me. Promise you’ll stay quiet about me and my sisters.”

The three teenagers swore, before that Neville admitted he had suspected it since day one.

“We might help you hiding the truth in fact, because you’re a really bad liar,” Tracey observed.

Ron wasn’t simply surprised, but quite flustered by his friends’ reaction. Harriet would eventually learn that he had never managed to keep _“fully human”_ friends before. Neville’s friendship counted a lot for him, having been surrounded by girls most of his life. Tracey tried to take back the words she’d used, but a mean coughing fit took over and the four kids hurried back to the castle.

The following weeks went by quickly. Gryffindor managed to win against Hufflepuff only because no wrestling took place, only racing and dueling. McGonagall was the one picking the challenges and many rumours told that she was cheating. Before long, Harriet could take her leave to visit her father in Hogsmeade and had to wish a nice holiday to her classmates and friends. Tracey was staying at the castle, as Draco for unknown reason.

“If he ever tries to boss you around, try this new spell we practiced.” Harriet told her, before to leave for the gate.

Neville followed her with Lily leading their way. Snape would be running between Hogsmeade and Hogwarts to check on the slytherins and make sure he would spend Christmas at home with his family. The Weasleys were already ahead and packing themselves on the train, except for Persephone, who had to stay back as a prefect. Harriet and Neville gave a big wave back at Ron before to run after Lily to get on one of the rare carriage for Hogsmeade. Harriet was anxious to see her father and seriously wondering what she should ask him first. Echo jumped in her trail, amazed by the freshly fallen snow. An hour later, Harriet was home, discovering a disheveled Lupin preparing dinner, half with magic, half normally.

The worries were replaced by her pleasure to see him standing, in his usual and human appearance and she let go of Echo to rush up to him with a booming:

“Dad!”

Remus had the time to put his knife back on the table and to turn to face her before to be engulfed into a bear hug that he gave back wholeheartedly.

“Was it you in the forest?” she asked as soon as her first tingle of excitement calmed down.

“To the point, as always. Young girl, let me take a look at you. You’re not harmed, are you? She looks fine, Echo. I guess you did a good job. But you’d better look after her more closely for the next year.”

The wolf gave a pitiful bark and lowered her dark ears, much to Harriet’s irritation.

“Dad, answer me! Were you tracking the guy McGonagall was looking for in the forbidden forest? Did you take some kind of potion to turn into a wolf whenever you see fit? I heard from Ro…”

“Slow down, turtledove, slow down a bit. Let’s sit down and talk, okay?”

She sat with him at the table, taking Echo on her lap and stroking her fur to keep herself calm while Lupin slowly decided where to start.

“We met in the forbidden forest. It was me that jumped you, Harriet. I’m sorry for scaring you and causing you to get hurt. Even with the few weeks of practice I have, subduing the wolf entirely isn’t easy…”

His voice was so low and filled with self-loathing that Harriet felt her own anger tempering.

“Dad, I know. But what were you doing…?”

“I’m going to tell you, Harriet. You know Sirius has always been the one out front, he’s always risking his life to stop Men Eaters and I couldn’t do that, not as much as I wanted anyway, because of my… circumstances. I was recently made aware of a potion that could help me shifting into a wolf at any moment of the month and also control the wolf I become.”

“But I heard there was…”

“Side effects. From your friend Weasley I guess?”

Harriet stood silent an entire second while Remus muttered that he too could do his homework.

“With the recent attack on the prime minister, you-know-who’s supporters have been really active. And her main informer, Peter Pettigrew was sighted in the neighborhood. The job I’ve found is a contract to find and track down unsavory characters like this… sad excuse for a human being.”

Harriet knew how hard it was for Remus to talk like that of Peter, who had been a former friend and the man who had betrayed James Potter’s secret to you-know-who. She loathed the man fiercely, always hearing bad stuff about Wormtail.

“Who gave you this contract?”

“Goblins, actually. But it’s a long story and I’d rather make it short. I found Pettigrew and almost captured him on our first encounter. But the man has learned a few nasty curses in the last years. And I had to rely on my wolf form, since Mrs. Weasley gave me a stock of moonwolf potion. Before that you panic or try to argue with me young girl, I’d like to remind you that I’m the adult here. And the potion’s made me able to capture Pettigrew without killing him and I’ve recently captured Lockhart himself, who had been trying to curse a few students and even teachers at your school, including his pass at Lily.”

“It was HIM? But who is that guy?”

Harriet felt light headed with all the information she had just received. She wanted to ask Remus about the side effects. She wanted to understand why Goblins would be interested in capturing wizards. She wanted to know when he had gotten in touch with the Weasley family or if any students had been touched by a curse since Lily’s accident.

“Harriet, I know you’d want to know everything. But I’m not sure how safe it would be for you to know. Goblins are really strict on their contracts and I’ve told as much as I can for the moment.”

“You’re not in any danger, are you? What about the effects of this moonwolf potion?”

“It’s perfectly under control.” He assured her. “Now I’d like to know why you were in the forbidden forest in the first place. Because believe it or not, the only teacher keeping me up-to-date with what happens to you is your aunt Lily. And except for warning me that you might not get along with McGonagall, she hasn’t been able to tell me much.”

Harriet understood that he was worried about her.

“I was in detention, with McGonagall actually. For being outside the castle at night.”

Lupin closed his eyes an instant.

“I don’t know what I was expecting. It’s your first year. You’re James’ and Sirius’ and my daughter after all. Of course you’d be against a few rules. Do you realize what could happen to you when you’re alone outside Hogwarts? You could have been killed a dozen times already. You…”

He paused, noticing how she was evading his eyes and how Echo twitched uncomfortably on her lap.

“Tell me you haven’t gone to the lake, Harriet? Sirius had to put that idea in your head!”

“You didn’t even let me answer!” she protested.

“Well, your face says it all.”

He got up and went back to focus on the dinner, taking his wand off the oven’s side and throwing a few spells a little too roughly. A fire rose in the air before he tempered it down. Usually, fluctuation in Lupin’s magic meant that Harriet was about to face the punishment of her life. Although anything worse than detention with McGonagall seemed farfetched at best. His back was still turned on her when he sighed and told her what he made of the situation:

“I guess you’ve been punished enough with our little encounter in the forest. The very fact I recognized you wasn’t short of a miracle. I’ve had nightmares, Harriet, nightmares of hurting you and that night, I almost…!”

“I know it wasn’t your fault, daddy.”

Reverting to calling him daddy…

“Of course, Harriet. But I’m still tracking people. And although I control myself better each time, I can relapse. So don’t ever go outside the castle at night. Magic can’t hurt werewolves, you know that. And if I have to go back at doing nothing and catching the dust in some empty house, I’ll go mad…”

He needed this job, even if it could kill him. Harriet understood how helpless he felt. She wanted to help. To change how things were. To make sure Sirius could be here with them.

“It’s okay, dad, I swear, it won’t happen again if I have any say in it.”

She would focus on the lake at night. Werewolves could swim, but they didn’t exactly like the water. Remus looked at her then, his eyes fogged by guilt and worry for the future. Her future. There was a knot in her throat and she tried hard to swallow it down, to no avail.

“You’re a clever girl, Harriet Cecilia Potter. I’m glad for your understanding, but I know you’ll get in more trouble. You’re barely four months into school and look at how many detentions you got.”

She blushed, until he told her he was really proud that she was no idle student.

“Just make sure not to kill your father by getting yourself seriously hurt.”

A shy nod followed by a shiver were all the notice he had before she ran up to him and hugged him again. Remus knew he wasn’t fair on her. No children her age should live in such a state of mind. But their world was like this right now. Unfair and harsh.

He raised her from the floor, as if she was five years old again, whispering reassuring words in her ears. When she asked news of Padfoot, his heart broke a little more.

“I haven’t heard anything.” He said, his tone all but an apology.

Harriet didn’t insist. She wanted to coax answers out of him, but she knew better than push her luck or his nerves. When he put her back on her feet, she was less shaken, but her lungs were still constricted by something she couldn’t describe.

“We’ll bake his favorite cakes, what do you say? A black dog might turn up.”

She agreed, nurturing as much hope as she could. The cakes sat for an entire week on the windowsill and Echo made a feast out of them in the end. Sirius was still running, after or from someone, none of them knew. They just wished he would run home and make them feel like a family again.

To be continued…


	10. Sighting wizards in blizzards

It was all over the news. The Daily Prophet and the Quibble both. Every wizarding newspaper was over it.

**_Lucius Malfoy sighted after five years of disappearance._ **

Draco turned livid when Pansy Parkinson almost threw the newspaper at him in her excitement. Harriet borrowed Marcus’ copy and was surprised by the content.

_Lucius Malfoy, specialist in the dark arts and well-known healer of the mind, had gone out of business ever since she-who-must-not-be-named started her vendetta against him. Five years ago, Malfoy briefly appeared at an auction for some ancient artefacts in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He had remained hidden from any society ever since, surely pretending to be a muggle in some foreign country._

_Witness Dolores Umbridge swore that she saw him inside the very Ministry of Magic, entering the healing departments. Malfoy had managed to heal many demented witches and wizards over the years, and was working on a cure for the Cruciatus spell’s after-effects before he was forced to disappear with his healing secrets. His reappearance could mean new discoveries in this field of magic. If…_

“A benevolent man, that Lucius Malfoy,” Tracey whispered beneath her breath, her voice filled with hate, instantly grabbing Harriet’s attention. Luckily, Draco hadn’t heard, too focused on the paper in his shaking hands.

“What do you mean, Trace?”

“You know how ill I am. Comes from my mother’s side. Malfoy tried healing her for two years and suddenly stopped coming to our place, pretending my father couldn’t sustain the cost of his healing ingredients anymore. She died a few days later.” Tracey answered bitterly.

It was a side Harriet had seen before in her friend, but she had never known that it was rooting from a scar so deep. Both girls eyed Draco tentatively and the boy met their gaze, recognition on his features. He might have heard a bit of what the brown haired slytherin had said.

“Got something to say, Davies?” he asked defensively.

“You’re not your father. But they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

The typical Draco would have retort with venom and fire. But he lowered his eyes first and looked utterly defeated for the rest of breakfast. A few guys tried to cheer him, though it was mostly Pansy Parkinson who looked after him.

“It’s good if he’s been sighted, isn’t it? It means he’s still alive.” She whispered to him.

It was a clumsy try and Malfoy’s features only darkened. They were one week into January and their dorm was so cold, Harriet had to sleep with Echo and Tracey every night to make sure her friend wouldn’t get cold. The house elves were apologizing every night, bringing a ton of sheets and covers, Pansy remained her obnoxious and independent self, but the two other girls stayed close, not minding the proximity. It was actually comforting, especially since Neville had warned Harriet that Lockhart had somehow escaped his goblins’ prison.

He’d heard it when Snape warned Lily herself, the lanky teenager hiding beneath his mother’s desk without any adults’ knowledge of his presence. Harriet had wondered what he could have been doing lurking in Lily’s office, but the boy’s argument was an order from his deceased grandmother.

“We need to know who Lockhart is and what his goal could be.”

She had no idea that Malfoy would be the key to that question. On that morning, they were training under Hagrid’s surveillance, practicing on duelling parades. Their shields had gained in strength and Harriet could have make one in her sleep by now. The air was crisp and cold, making it uneasy to have a good grip on their wands. The next matches would be in February, determining the teams going in finals against each other. Draco hadn’t entirely reverted to insults with her and had been less snarky since the news over his father. Harriet actually felt sorry for him, hearing from Goyle that the boy hadn’t slept for three nights straight before that Pomfrey gave him some sleeping draught despite his knowing.

Lucius Malfoy being sighted was far too obvious to be true. The Men Eaters had attacked the healing branch of the ministry a day after the news and the Aurors pulling the strings of the whole misinformation campaign had managed a massive capture. The trap had fallen and Draco still had no idea if his father was still alive or not. Despite all the bored looks he hid behind, the boy cared and was worried sick.

“Are you even focusing?” she asked bitterly when Draco dropped his wand for the second time as he dodged her spell.

“As if you’re one to talk! Expelliarmos!”

She almost lost her wand and totally lost her balance. She replied with a spell of her own, which hit Malfoy in the shoulder.

“See? I got you!” she observed triumphantly.

Harriet wasn’t exactly thinking. This brooding Malfoy was getting on her nerves, because she was always on her guard around him and couldn’t tell what he would do next. And he never tried anything anymore, which meant the truce was still on and that the few pranks she had imagined couldn’t take place. Everyone else was either nice or indifferent to her. She could always try her pranks on Granger, who had managed to ensnare a few fourth years that had mocked her in a trap so nefarious, two teachers had been necessary to get them out. The children knew but for some reason, McGonagall was always turning a blind eye on Hermione’s antics. They were few and in-betweens but when Granger decided to take revenge on someone, that person was good for the infirmary. Pranking Granger sounded almost as bad for her health as pulling on you-know-who’s braids. If she had braids.

“I’ll show you, Potter!”

Harriet was up, but not for long. Malfoy managed an half silent spell that she barely countered, which left her dizzy. That boy was keeping a few tricks beneath his sleeves and she swore to herself that if he didn’t teach her how he did that, she would kick him in the frozen lake and let the squid eat him.

“Impedimenta!”

“Missed!”

She tried to aim for something else and did something unthinkable.

“Accio Malfoy’s boots!”

Since the spell wasn’t directed at him precisely, Malfoy couldn’t counter it. They still needed to learn how to nullify a spell and it was mostly impossible according to professor Flitwick. The result was priceless. Malfoy was dragged in the snow, till he fell on his butt and sled toward her. He kicked off his boots angrily, totally focused on their little match now. Hagrid was so focused on helping Terrence with the feral ghouls they were taming, he didn’t notice what was happening. Marcus was running a few miles farther, where the terrain was flatter and less unforgiving. Their wrestlers had headed back earlier and that left both first years alone in their makeshift duel circle.

“You shouldn’t have taken the…”

“Stupefy!”

Harriet countered his spell as quickly as she could, but she was still dizzy from dragging him in the snow with her magic. Somehow, her wand didn’t work as well in cold weather. As if it resisted her. _I haven’t studied blue phoenixes yet_ , she thought in the back of her mind.

“Cut it out, Draco!”

She levitated a ball of snow right into his face, effectively preventing him from doing another spell. But Draco’s fighting spirit wasn’t done. He dropped to the ground, his feet freezing, grabbing a handful of snow and throwing it at her. It wasn’t before they were both soaked and breathless that Hagrid’s strong voice interrupted their all out snowball fight.

“This isn’t duel practice anymore. Both of you stop. Potter! Give back Malfoy’s boots. You two want to catch your own death?!”

“No sir.”

“Get in my house and make sure you’re both dry before heading back in the castle. Bella will bite if she notices any bickering or fighting.” He added as a warning.

Hagrid could be mean if pushed to his limits and rumors said he’d sent a student to St-Mungo’s once or twice, so they obeyed without protest. The walk towards the gamekeeper’s house was silent, but as soon as the door closed behind them, to her own surprise, Harriet couldn’t supress the smile on her face. Looking at Malfoy, she noticed he was smiling too. All that exercise had exorcised part of his dread.

“I can’t believe you put snow in my collar,” she started, trying to keep a straight face.

“You started it, taking my boots away. I can’t even feel my feet.”

Bella raised her head, her brilliant eyes shining with amusement. They were both in a pretty sorry state, covered in melting snow from head to toes. Harriet couldn’t feel the tip of her fingers and Draco’s lips were slightly blue. Maybe from exhaustion or because bickering more at this point was stupid, they both burst out in laughs. And the laughing didn’t stop until they were either bend in two or shedding a few tears. Bella used that time to give each of them a large and warm sheet that had been waiting next to the fire.

“I don’t remember the last time I laughed like that.” Draco admitted, making a quick work of rubbing his feet to get sensation back into them.

“Maybe you should ease up a bit more.”

That earned her a cold stare, before that the platinum blond looked down.

“How do you ease up with a wanted father on the run?” he asked on a low voice.

Harriet felt her throat tightening. She hadn’t expected him to open up at all and pulled the cover tighter around her, feeling the snow melting on her head.

“He’s not wanted. The ministry…”

Malfoy laughed a broken, disabused laugh that made something melt in Harriet. She couldn’t tell what. She couldn’t tell how, but she had to dry her eyes an instant, when he went on:

“They used his name to capture Men Eaters. It’s convenient for the ministry that you-know-who wants him dead. If he was truly dead, they’d think they were better off without another dark mage.”

“Drac…”

“Don’t pity me, Potter. I’m just cold and tired.” He cut her off angrily.

Malfoy hadn’t been taught to show weaknesses. He wanted to take what he’d said back.

“You don’t have to stay alone in this,” she insisted. “I have people I care about that are forced to run too. I might not know what it feels like, but I know it can’t be easy.”

His silver eyes gazed up at her, beneath a thick wall of ice that was filled with cracks. She held up his questioning look. His stare turned so intense, she had to break contact and his voice came out, a mix of annoyance and not so well-covered anxiety.

“Now you want to be friends with me? Why?”

“We’re in the same house. It would make life easier, don’t you think?”

He rolled his eyes.

“Life isn’t easy, Potter.”

“It’s Harriet, Draco. And you don’t have to make life harder. You don’t even have to befriend my other friends. I think we might just be pretty impressive if we worked together instead of against each other.”

“You got someone you know running? From you-know-who?”

She sighed, hoping that a little leap of faith wouldn’t turn badly.

“My father was killed by _her_.” She reminded him. “I’ve been raised by my two god-fathers and one of them was forced to run by the recent attack. I haven’t seen him for months.”

“I haven’t seen my father for years. And my mother has never been better with him out of her sight.”

The bitterness in his voice wasn’t lost on her.

“Okay, how about we switch subject? Getting any drier?”

“Somewhat. But you still haven’t told me what you want us to work on. Unless you were only implying the Wrestomb team.”

 “You… wouldn’t happen to know other wizards using the dark arts, except from your father and Snape? Like… A Gilderoy Lockhart?”

He screwed his brow and Bella let out a menacing growl, making both of the students back a step.

“What are you up to, Potter? That’s one wicked fellow you want to learn about…”

“So you know him?”

She forgot a good part of her unease and almost grabbed Draco by the collar, which had him backing away from her. An extended truce was fine, but contacts were out of the question, especially since their only contacts had been in wrestling or dueling contexts.

“Let’s get back to our common room first. My feet are still freezing. And I won’t say anything unless you tell me what you’re up to.”

They walked back to the castle, Malfoy inquiring about her godfathers. He didn’t ask for bloodlines, only for names, but she knew it was pretty much the same. She remained as evasive as she could, prodding him right back with question about his mother. After a few awkward minutes, they convened to let their family where they were. Instead, Harriet told him about Lockhart’s cursing professor Evans and how McGonagall had chased the man in the forbidden forest.

Malfoy looked more and more alive as she unraveled the mystery for him. The boy was brilliant and bored in most of his classes. This was finally something to throw his energies at, instead of belittling others or worrying over a father he couldn’t help. As they sat together in the common room, her fellow slytherin told her everything he knew about Lockhart.

“The man has been breaking hearts and minds alike for years. My father was often asked to undo the damages his obliviating spells caused. Whenever Lockhart charms a lady, he’s looking for a benefice. He stole fortunes, rare artefacts and magic catalysts from unsuspecting family. He would go as far as using polyjuice to disguise himself and keep at it. For some reason, you-know-who never managed to kill him. The guy has gone as far as stealing from goblins.”

Hence the reason why goblins had payed Remus to track him down. Harriet knew that you didn’t trick goblins if you valued your life.

“What could he gain from cursing aunt… professor Evans?”

Malfoy sneered at her slight mistake but didn’t raise any sarcastic insult.

“He must want something in the school. Or something Evans possess. He’s after dark artefacts to get stronger, that’s all there is about him.”

Harriet looked around them, noticing they were alone in the common room. Their training sessions had been resituated in the afternoon and evening, generally after supper time, since winter was well settled in and that the sun wasn’t showing before seven or eight o’clock. As much as the headmistress liked Wrestomb, she’d never allow for practices to cut in with classes.

“How come you know Lockhart so well? I couldn’t find anything on him no matter who I asked.”

Draco’s face darkened.

“He went after my mother once, pretending to be my father, nothing less. I caught him snooping around the house and we knew right then. Mother kept it under wraps, but we sent him packing.”

There was a bitter undertone to his voice, as if there was more to this story. If Lucius had apparently reappeared after years of absence to be an impostor, it had certainly been a great deception for him.

“So you knew duelling spells when you were… like eight years old?”

“Six. But we need to focus on a way to find wherever Lockhart is hiding and have him locked up for good. There’s a new curse I could try on him…”

“I never mentioned curses. And how do you think you can locate a dark mage?!”

“Lockhart has always been partial to pretty girls. Give him a pretty sixth or seventh-year to charm and he’ll fall for it, as long as he knows he can get some gold or maybe the entrance to Hogwarts.”

Harriet didn’t like this plan. Although it sounded promising. They were talking about a wizard that needed a werewolf to be stopped and could escape from goblins’ custody. Not that she would tell him about Remus. She wasn’t ready to trust him that much.

“How do we even convince a…”

“You’re friends with that Weasley, aren’t you Potter? He’s got plenty of sisters.”

Harriet doubted Ron would like the idea of any of his sisters being used as bait. And the oldest around school, Persephone, wasn’t exactly the adventurous, law-breaking type.

“We’ll talk about this some more. Unless another person is cursed.”

 The very fact she wasn’t taking this to the adults was because she knew the adults had tried and failed already. Snape had been counting on Remus, and her father had done his job. The goblins certainly weren’t to blame, but sometimes, it took number to win against someone. And if she couldn’t fight against the Men Eaters for the moment, she could still try to do what she felt was right. When she slipped in her dorm, she found Tracey waiting with her arms crossed on her chest, trying to study a book that was on the same page for a long time.

“You’re his friend now? Draco Malfoy?”

“I think I might be…” Harriet carefully ventured.

“How did that happened?”

Harriet herself had trouble understanding what could have gotten Malfoy to change his mind about her.

“We had a snowball fight during our training.” She stated.

Tracey rolled her eyes.

“Wow. That’s almost cute.”

“Trace, listen here, I know you resent his father and you have every right to. But Draco’s not his father and…”

“Are you taking his side?! Harriet, that guy is obsessed with pure blood and dark magic. Unless you’re into that. I wouldn’t entirely blame you, but Malfoy is dangerous.”

Harriet remembered how he’d carelessly told her he knew duelling spell when he was six years old. Who taught a kid this kind of thing? And when had he learned parseltongue?

“He has knowledge that could be useful to find and maybe stop Lockhart. It’s only for the moment, Tracey, I swear. Unless he proves to be good deep inside, beneath the mean words and all.”

She didn’t want to defend him, not exactly, but she couldn’t condemn him outright. Not after seeing him opening up. He could be a good friend, if he could let go of some of his archaic beliefs. But her mother hadn’t supposedly died because of his father. Tracey turned her back on her and they slept each in their own bed despite the cold. Harriet was sure her friend would come to her sense in the morning or the following weeks. She dreamed of a face shifting figure that night, who carried a dark bag as he leaped from tree to tree in the forbidden forest. She heard his laugh and one long, painful howl in the distance. She could see his face, his hair and features changing to look like Sirius or Severus or even James Potter. They all wore crooked smiles and whichever face she saw; she couldn’t see their eyes. But the smile remained the same. And his dark, never-ending laugh haunted her until the morning came.

To be continued…


	11. On catching dark mages

It was on the 31th of January that the students of Hogwarts made a dreadful discovery that year. Harriet was animatedly talking with Tracey as they walked up to the Great Hall for breakfast, when they noticed the massive number of students standing in the entrance of the room. A lot of them were murmuring, or pushing to try and get a look at what was happening. McGonagall’s voice could be heard over it all, asking for silence and order. Filch was standing guard with Snape and Lily, Flitwick standing closer to the drama. Harriet saw Ron tossing people on his way, his face red with anger. He knew something before even seeing what was going on. She dove in the mass of students and forced her way to the first ranks, while the twins grabbed Ron by the shoulders and forced him to swallow down his anger.

The fourth tables had been broken in half and pushed in the center of the room in a grotesque triangle or pyre. At the very top hanged Bella, covered in blood and hanging by her fur. Her whines were proof she was still alive, but she looked weak and miserable. Tracey gasped and Harriet felt a twist in her heart as she noticed how shaken Ron looked. He adored Hagrid’s dog, she knew that already, but it seemed a lot more personal than just the anger one would feel for a pet.

Drago tapped on her shoulder, having located her in the crowd, Crab and Goyle on either side of him.

“You can bet that’s Lockhart’s work. Notice anything gone?”

Harriet took her eyes away from Bella’s slowly levitating form, as Flitwick gently lowered her to the floor and Quirrell started asserting the damage. Beneath the fourth table, the headmistress’ golden podium ornate with a majestic owl was gone.

“How did he manage to get in the castle? Why would he take that?” Harriet shot at Malfoy, who shook his head.

“But to take this much risks, he’s pretty sure of himself.”

Bella whined in excruciating pain and Tracey grabbed Harriet’s arm to get her attention.

“Look at Ron!”

The boy was almost shaking and his three sisters didn’t look that much better. McGonagall ordered the students to head back to their common room, closing the doors on the sorry scene. Harriet and Tracey agreed to trail behind to catch up with Ron. Neville joined them after most of the students had separated, the Weasleys reluctantly closing the walk. Ron noticed the look his friends were giving him and suggested to his sisters to go on without him.

“Don’t do anything foolish, Ronald,” Persephone warned him.

The four students quickly hid in an unused classroom, Ron doing his best to keep it together. He was so upset; his nails had drawn blood from his palms as he clenched his fists.

“I’m sure Bella will be okay.” Tracey tried to comfort him, but he snapped right then.

“Okay?! Someone tried to kill her last night! She was… Bloody hell, she was almost killed and I didn’t hear anything!”

“Ron, you’re not making sense.” Neville told him with a very calm voice.

He seemed to have learned just how to calm the red-head’s temper.

“She’s…” Ron blinked and cursed and took a deep breath before revelling them the truth: “Bella isn’t a dog. She’s a reverse wolf. She’s my sister.”

The three of them blinked, Harriet shocked and Tracey turning white.

“Reverse..? Wait, why is she living with Hagrid?”

“It was her only way of somehow attending Hogwarts. She turns back into a human every full moon. The rest of the time, she’s in her wolf form. Full wolf form I should say.” He added quickly at Harriet’s puzzled look. Werewolves sure didn’t look as fluffy as that to her knowledge.

“Why would anyone attack her?” Neville asked.

Ron threw his hands in the air in frustration.

“That’s what I would like to know. The castle was never attacked in the years Bella’s been living here… She said she would protect it with her life. She can be really stubborn.”

“I think it’s a family thing,” Harriet observed, which put a half smile on Ron’s face.

“But there’s only one person that could try attacking the castle.” Tracey remarked. “Could this be Lockhart’s doing?”

“How come I haven’t heard of this?” Neville intervened.

Harriet would have answered if Ron hadn’t lost it a minute, almost breaking the desk on which he had been leaning. He grabbed Tracey by her forearms, roughly enough to make her squeal in fear.

“Lockhart?!” he barked angrily.

“Gilderoy Lockhart.” Harriet confirmed, putting herself between Ron and Tracey. “I know he’s been around the castle for a few months now.”

She hadn’t managed to fill them in on the story, with the teachers giving a mountain of assignment to first years and both the Gryffindor boys being overloaded with training schedule for their approaching match.

“And you only tell me this now?!” he yelled in her ears.

“How was I supposed to know you knew him?!”

Ron cursed once more, but seemed to remember where he was and took a step back from Harriet. They had been far too close to feel safe with him in such a precarious state of mind. Neville had one hand on his wand in fear of things escalating and removed it when Ronald sighed deeply.

“Lockhart is the very reason why Bella is a reversed wolf. He dated her, found out about her secret and ditched her, taking our father’s greatest treasure with him in the process. When she tried to obliviate him to protect our family, he cursed her. He’s immune to obliviation. She’s been a wolf 29 days a month since I was a small cub, all because of this… damned monster.”

“Holy Merlin.” Harriet whispered.

How many more lives had Lockhart made impossible? It seemed that guy had attacked every wizard’s families in England.

“Wait a minute. You obliviate people when they learn your secret?” Tracey deduced.

Ron didn’t look too ashamed. In fact, he mostly looked sad, before to pull on the tough guy mask.

“It’s not everyone who wants to be friend with a wolf. You saw what people do when they know. Wolf are immune to magic. Which mean he took his time with Bella.”

Harriet felt like she was going to be sick. Neville had a harsh look on his face.

“This has gone far enough. We need to find that Lockhart and make sure anything like this doesn’t happen again.” He declared.

“But… we’re only first-years,” Tracey observed.

“And three of us are Wrestomb players and can compete with fifth and sixth years,” Ron threw back. “And when I tell the twins about this, you can bet they’ll help.”

Harriet wondered if they had a chance. But since the adult wizards had so much trouble protecting a school filled with children from Lockhart, they couldn’t really give up before trying. She didn’t want to see anyone else, animal, werewolf or human, bathed in blood.

…

When she slipped a note to Malfoy in the middle of history class, Harriet didn’t think he would take her suggestion so badly. He glared at her from his desk and angrily scribbled away on the scrap of parchment. In any other class, none of them would have tried something so risky. Every professor was very strict and would have snatched the note away, some even going as far as reading it out loud. Here, Binns was oblivious as always but other students, those that weren’t asleep that is, took notice. She felt her question was innocent enough…

_Do you have any kind of magic artefacts that could attract G.L ?_

_Why would I have anything like that, Potter?!_

When class was over and they could escape the dreadful monologues, Malfoy didn’t lose any time and grabbed Harriet’s elbow, dragging her out in front of their colleagues, his eyes shooting daggers. It wasn’t until they were in an empty corridor out of earshot that he finally let go of her arm and told her why he was so worked up.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous it would be to admit possessing anything remotely resembling a magic artefact?”

“I’ll burn the note and people will think we’re working on a strategy for Wrestomb or something.” She quickly said to calm him. “It doesn’t have to belong to you, it just has to be famous or glittery and to catch his attention so _we_ can catch him.”

She had a suspicion that if Draco was so worried about the possession of magic artefact, it was because he had one or two of them. Either way, all she wanted was to get Lockhart in a corner and teach him a lesson. She was wondering if she could manage some way to warn Lupin to have him rush over if things went bad. Without letting him know she was going after Lockhart with four other first-years and two third-years before that it was done. She was a little girl, despite her training and studying. But Lockhart was alone.

“So you turn to me when you want dark magic related stuff, is that it?”

“Do you know of dark magic related stuff, Draco?”

He nodded reluctantly.

“Then I’m sorry, but you’re one of the only person I know that can give me that. I could go and try to read books in the limited section, but it’s faster to just ask you. Lives could be at stake.”

“You’re really full of yourself, to think you can save the world all alone.”

“I’m not alone. I’m not going alone, because that would be crazy. If you want to support us, we could all work together with Neville, Ron, Tracey and the twins.”

“Davies shouldn’t go. She’ll get killed and you know it.”

Harriet shared his worries, but she also knew that Tracey wouldn’t like to be left out.

“We’re talking about something really dangerous here. We’ll make plans. We might need to spread in teams, and if we need to communicate with each other, having Tracey could prove vital.”

She didn’t ask him if he would take Crab and Goyle into this. The boys were not pretty efficient at defense against the dark arts for the moment and Malfoy wasn’t exactly considering them as henchman. They were his friends, as Harriet had recently understood.

…

The planning took some time, since Ron and Draco couldn’t look at each other without getting angry. It wasn’t until Harriet made it clear that they all had a bone to pick with Lockhart, Ron for what he did to his sister, Draco for what he did to his mother. Neither of the boys liked how easily she shared their secret, but no harm was done. Freddie introduced them to an invention she had developed with her twin, a small enchanted bug that could act as a communication device.

“They watched some stupid movie called James Wond with Lee Jordan last summer and they’ve been crazy about it ever since.”

“It’s Bond!” Georgia corrected him. “And when you’re still alive thanks to our hard work, I’m hoping for some gratitude, young man.”

“Okay guys, can we all talk together with those…”

“Unfortunately, they only register a message and carry it quickly to someone. It’s not as easy as you’d think to make something like this.” Freddie explained.

Malfoy snickered, but didn’t made any comment, and it was better for him. The others barely tolerated him because he pointed out the best way of luring out Lockhart. By stealing some instruments from Snape’s office and putting it in plain view.

“We need to stay connected. Tracey, could you be the main link between us? You’ll stay close to every of our positions, but out of Lockhart’s path. I’m pretty sure I got something that could help you remain invisible.”

Harriet had received one package from Sirius a few days after Christmas. Even Lupin ignored it and she had a good idea why. Black had sent his daughter James’ invisibility cloak. Remus would have been against her having any way of sneaking around the castle at night and trying to do dangerous things, since she’d already proved that she was reckless. She hadn’t used it more than once, only to try it out actually and Tracey was the only one knowing about it for now. She would tell Neville soon, as soon as was necessary, but things were far too hectic.

“There’s no good spell that…” Freddie objected, but Harriet interrupted her quickly:

“We need to decide on a date. We’ll raid Snape’s office tonight, Malfoy and me. It should be easier to get away with it if we get caught.”

“I’ll test the bugs with every of you between classes,” Tracey suggested. “In two days, I’m sure we’ll have the hang of it.”

“Friday then. Classes end earlier and we’ll have the whole weekend to relax.” Ron decided, sounding a little too sure of himself.

“Let’s all seriously work on our spell casting and shielding until then.” Neville added warningly. “It wouldn’t hurt if we set up a few traps before hand.”

Harriet agreed with him. She wasn’t exactly happy with the idea of stealing something from Snape. If they used any magic, he would know. She would bring the invisibility cloak if they ended up in a bind. It never crossed her mind to ask her friends if they were worried of being expelled. The main thing on her mind was keeping all of them alive. She might not have realized how dangerous the situation would prove. But they didn’t feel safe in the castle anymore. The traps from defense against dark arts were a challenge, they barely ever fell into one. But every student knew the impenetrable castle had been entered by someone that should have been kept out. Getting rid of that fear was their only way of feeling safe again.

…

Bella was slowly healing, under Hagrid’s and Quirrell’s constant care. The half giant knew what she was, and the magical creature teacher had a really good suspicion of it. She had been visited by the twins and Persephone, but Ron hadn’t shown up once. He wouldn’t until Lockhart was in shackles or blood. Both if he could let all of his anger out.

…

That night, Tracey wished both Harriet and Draco good luck as they slipped out of the common room. They had to repel Peeves with salt, before to run among the dungeon’s halls, a light-step spell on their feet. After training together for weeks, both teenagers were good at coordinating their effort. Draco unlocked the door while Harriet stood watch. A tracking-intruder spell was evaded thanks to the safe-trespassing potion Neville had prepared for them. He had gotten the recipe from his grandmother’s ghost, much to Harriet’s despair. Malfoy was the one who studied the instruments, before to chose one, while Harriet was still checking for spells, magic trace or counter effect that would point up to them as culprits.

They had agreed not to speak, just in case of some registering spell. Harriet had gone over every guarding spells Remus used when they left the house or arrived in a new location that wasn’t deemed safe by her overcautious father.

Of course, she forgot something. She only hoped she’d get results fast enough to explain herself and evade an awful detention. There was a painting in a corner of the room, laid against a shelf, not even fixed on the wall. It showed a dark city scenery, old Victorian houses pressed together along a street. There were trash cans lying around and nothing moved in the painting, well, almost nothing. Because the central house happened to be Snape’s family house. And behind a window with curtains half drawn, a lone, bony and slightly deranged woman was looking. Snape’s mother. Or well, all that was left of her.

Malfoy slipped a dark silver ball in his pocket, similar to a Snitch but usually serving a darker purpose than prolonging a Quidditch match.

They got out of the teacher office and walked as quietly as they could in the dimly-lit corridors, thinking the worst was over. Of course they had to be wrong. A voice whispered “Lumos” and Harriet barely had the time to draw out her cloak as Draco pulled her behind a gargoyle’s statue.

She hit her head, holding down her gasp of pain and threw the cloak over them, muffling down Malfoy’s potential question by putting her hand over his mouth. They were surprised to see Pomfrey walking by with her wand held up.

“I could have sworn I’d smelled students.” She whispered before to turn off her lighting charm. Her eyes shone in the dark and for an instant, Harriet wondered if this was another way of McGonagall to make sure student wouldn’t roam the halls at night.

There was a sniff and a sharp turn of her head, her eyes like silver arrows, aiming right at them.

“Damn Quirrell, forgetting my dose. Damn students lurking at night. I’ll pretend you weren’t there for 30 seconds, okay? Then I’m chasing you down the hall.”

Pomfrey closed her eyes and started counting out loud. Malfoy was frozen in place, still trying to understand what was going on. Harriet dragged him with her on the first three steps. Then they were running as if their life depended on it and almost fell head first inside their common room. Harriet’s lungs were burning from need of air and Draco leaned against the wall, before to slid down to the floor.

“Don’t tell me that the school nurse is a… freaking vampire.”

“Maybe an ogress.” Harriet supplied, although she was pretty sure he was right. She had never seen Pomfrey in the sun, or in any natural light. Not to mention the nurse had diplomas that dated for 20 years back or so and didn’t look older then thirty.

“And she chases down students at night?!”

“When Quirrell doesn’t supply her with whatever her dose is.”

Thankfully the room was empty, but both kids wondered just how safe Hogwarts was supposed to be, with or without Lockhart patrolling the forest and harassing people with dark curses.

But they had still achieved their purpose. Exchanging shaky smiles, they headed for their respective dorms. Harriet dreamed of vampire and the infirmary wing that night. Malfoy asked her in the morning what the cloak had been about, and she admitted of its proprieties, although she asked for his discretion. She wasn’t going to loan it around the school for everyone to bring about mischief.

…

In the Great Hall, the fixed up table were covered in foods and everything appeared the same as ever. But when Harriet threw a quick glance at the professors table, she noticed Snape’s absence. Not to mention that McGonagall was giving Quirrell the devils’ eye.

Tracey sneezed next to her, apologizing to their housemates.

“Are we feeling sick?”

“I don’t know. I hope not. I might try and see Mrs. Pomfre…”

“Don’t!”

Draco and Harriet said at the same time, the same look of alarm on both of their face.

Terrence chuckled.

“Guys, you’re starting to think a little too much alike now.”

“That’s not…!”

Tracey raised one eyebrow at her friend.

“What is it all about?”

“We might have discovered something about Pomfrey…” Harriet whispered to her.

Tracey laughed it off, unable to give any credit to something as preposterous as a vampire nurse. Malfoy kept to himself, trying to focus on the trap they would put into place in the following days. More sneaking around would be needed, and more chance encounter with a roaming Pomfrey.

Harriet noticed that he ate garlic’s bread, which wasn’t an usual for him. She barely resisted the urge to take a bite herself. But surely, although Pomfrey had clearly sensed their presence last night, she couldn’t recognize them? Otherwise, they were doomed and Snape would surely learn…

She choked on her sip of orange juice and didn’t regain her breath until a few, hard slaps in the back from Tracey. Snape had just walked into the Great Hall and looked angrier than she’d ever seen him. And if it wasn’t enough, he had entered from the student’s side of the room and was purposefully walking up to the slytherin table, his dark eyes zigzagging over the students. He zeroed in on her. She gasped despite her best effort to remain calm.

“Miss Potter? Would you mind telling me if you’ve misplaced your writing assignment for Monday’s class?”

She had forgotten to breathe a few seconds and blinked.

“I… Monday? This week’s Monday?”

“I thought I was clear enough the first time around. You haven’t submitted anything. This is not how you begin a new school term.”

Harriet could have sworn she’d submitted the assignment on Monday. But Snape’s eyes went to Malfoy and she understood. He knew what they had done. And he was giving them a warning.

To be continued.


	12. Failing like an amateur

Harriet knew her grades wouldn’t look good in defense against the dark arts. She didn’t really care at the moment. She was knee deep in the snow, her wand in one hand, covering her eyes from the setting sun with the other, Malfoy pestering in her back. They had deployed in three teams. The twins were one, Neville and Ron the second and since Malfoy wouldn’t work with anyone but her, you could guess why they had paired together. She wore a large scarf, but nothing on her head, so that the few magic bugs Tracey sent her could land right on her ear lob and told her what was going on. Tracey would coordinate their group. She had seven league boots and the invisibility cloak in case things went south.

And things would certainly go south.

They had managed to convince Persephone of taking a part in the plan. When the prefect learned her elder sister’s ex-boyfriend was in the vicinity, she lost her calm aura. Now she had changed her hair color and style, turned her skin a perfect white and was “carelessly” reading on the border of the forbidden forest, wearing the silvery ball Draco had chosen like a pendant. She wasn’t dressed enough to face the weather, but born wolves were a lot more resistant than normal humans. She had observed how stupid this whole setup was, but then admitted that Gilderoy himself was pretty stupid and daring. It took a full hour for movement to be heard among the trees.

Each student had used a camouflage spell, some to better extent then other. For some reason, Malfoy was really good at modifying his own appearance and Harriet had needed to ask for his help in her own camouflage, transfiguration still being her most difficult subject. Neville’s skin was like tree bark and the twins were a clean pile of snow huddled beneath the tree were Persey was reading.

Movement above her head had Harriet looking up, but in a yellow twister of limbs, Gilderoy was already leaping down, landing a few feet away from Persephone. She feigned surprise and blinked up at him.

“Don’t be scared, sweet lady.” The man started with a dashing smile. There was something out worldly about that smile. Harriet felt weak for an instant and blinked.

“Why should I be scared? I see men dropping from the sky every day.” Persephone observed sarcastically.

Lockhart rose his eyebrows before to laugh, as openly and gently as one could imagine a charming prince would laugh. He had big blue eyes that held determination and willingness. He moved with grace, clearly comfortable in his body. He kneeled in front of Persephone, apparently ignoring his surrounding.

“Why are you doing this? Luring me out?” he asked as he leaned toward her.

Harriet felt her heart missing a bit. Had he seen any of them. Did he know?

Perse rolled her eyes, keeping her act together, telling him in a velvety voice:

“I’m here to strike a deal with you, mystery man.”

Strike had been their obvious but main code word to get on with their plan. Harriet shot up, casting her spell in a murmur. It ricocheted on Lockhart’s back, but the prefect had stopped her act at the first casting and turned the man’s clothes on fire. The twins jumped out of the snow, aiming for the eyes while Neville used wordless magic. Harriet was pretty sure things were tuning good when the first bug reached her ear.

“Don’t get near him.” The bug pleaded with Tracey’s voice. “He’s hiding something.”

How she knew, it was beyond Harriet. A dozen spells were being hurled at Lockhart, who countered and dodged all he could, still burning. But she noticed that Persephone had been knocked down and that in the mist of all their efforts, Lockhart had taken a dark flask out. He shot it at the ground, creating large puffs of smoke.

“Reducio!” Malfoy tried out.

It worked, but they didn’t have long until the dark mage would up and vanish. In the confusion, she couldn’t exactly tell who did what. She shielded herself and jumped into the fray, only thinking of managing a very strong stunning or dizzying spell on Lockhart. Snow flew in the air while trees fell and the sky filled with the colors of so many spells, Gilderoy would be dizzy before that Harriet even manage her spell. She heard words of cautions, she heard people crying out her name or maybe Ron’s name, she couldn’t tell anymore, she had trouble seeing straight before her.

Chaotic. That was what their plan had been all about. Enough chaos would overwhelm Lockhart, but she was starting to feel overwhelmed herself. A howl in the distance reached her deep in the heart, before a swirl of flames and human flesh turned to her, a demented smile on his face that burned with the rest. Whatever spell it was, Persephone had hit so well, he might die from it. Harriet didn’t feel sorry for the wizard. She realized her shield was down a second too late. Didn’t heard the spell used against her. Wordless, wandless magic it seemed, because she had managed an experlliarmus earlier and was still holding the man’s wand.

Magic hit her like a fist into her gut. She couldn’t breathe now, as if not being able to think wasn’t enough. Her feet left the ground and she was hurled beyond the tree lines, so far she thought she had actually left her body behind. But the spell wasn’t green, nobody could cast an unforgivable without words, Sirius had always said so. She flew like a doll thrown around by a giant child. She was cold, so cold and the wands were threatening to slip from her hand but she held on. What was going on? She was right over the lake and she wasn’t flying through the air now, she was falling, falling down and down and…

The lake was covered with a thin sheet of ice. She was so high up she had time to consider what the impact could do to her body, enough time to panic and manage a futile scream, but not enough to wave her wand and muster a levitating spell. She hadn’t ever practiced levitation on herself. Could it work the same way? The time ended and she was hitting the ice with a loud thud and a sickening crack. The pain radiated through every of her limbs as she lied there, so sore she couldn’t move. She wanted to check on her friends, but the ice beneath here was slowly cracking and she realized she might still be in trouble.

_I’ll freeze to death in there!_

The ice was thinner than she’d expected and broke beneath her weight, letting her dive in cold water that enveloped her in a silent, dark world. Harriet lost consciousness then, her body going under shock.

When she opened her eyes a few seconds later, she was shivering and somehow being carried by strong arms. Her voice came out as a whimper and the pain resurfaced in her back, although it was dulled by her numbness.

“I…”

“That was rather foolish, miss Potter,” Snape told her. “You’re just like your father. Each of your fathers.”

That was no compliment coming from him and Harriet simply tried to ask whether her friends were alright. The words were mismatched, as if her syllables couldn’t get through her lips. She had trouble moving her tongue and her teeth kept chattering together.

“None of the students were seriously wounded. But I’m pretty sure the headmistress won’t like this.”

“Lo…”

“Lockhart is being escorted to the goblins. Again. But it’s not because of what you did. It’s because I warned Lupin, and every sensible adult that were interested in you enough to go out and risk their lives, that you would need saving. And here you are…”

His voice was cold, almost as cold as the feeling in her bones. She couldn’t move her head. Any movement meant pain and even if Snape was clearly angry, he was handling her with care. Severus Snape could be cautious and delicate with someone else then Lily Evans. Harriet had a thousand more questions, but she lost consciousness again and missed the sharp intake of air from her defense against the dark arts teacher. He was worried beyond words. The girl couldn’t die. Not like this. Not when she was so young. Lily wouldn’t forgive him. And James…

His hatred burst so strongly at the thought of the deceased man and still… He felt he had to protect that child. It was almost painful sometimes. Pomfrey looked unimpressed when he showed up in the infirmary.

“What happened to her? I detect no magic residuals.”

“She fell. Broke something. Went in hypothermia when she touched the lake’s water.”

“Lay her down here, gently, Severus. Oh. The spine was cracked. I guess miss Potter is lucky I’m good with bones.”

Snape felt sick to his stomach. He had feared for something serious, but a spinal injury…

…

Harriet didn’t regain consciousness before Sunday morning. Her spine was mostly healed but she was filled with aches and sores. Persephone was in the bed next to hers, being treated for a mild concussion. Ron had gotten away with an upset stomach, Neville had a nasty gash on one arm but was intact otherwise. The twins had been hexed and were just starting to speak English again, being stuck in a foreign language sounding like troll’s according to Pomfrey.

“I thought that troll couldn’t talk.”

“Precisely.”

Malfoy showed up around the middle of the day, sporting bandages on his neck and his left arm stuck in a sling.

“Wow, lucky Snape didn’t consider any of you seriously wounded!” Harriet sighed.

“Well, regarding the situation, it could have been worse. McGonagall was called out of school on Friday and won’t be back before a few weeks. We might have the time to finish the Wrestomb competition before being expelled.”

She could tell Draco was joking from the little sparkle in his eyes. He wasn’t worried about being expelled. If anything, he was proud to have been part of Lockhart’s capture.

“Is Tracey okay?”

“She got sick again and hasn’t come out of the girl’s dorm. Parkinson isn’t really talkative about her. Or about anything.”

Pansy wasn’t favorable about Harriet’s sudden friendship with Draco. Or the fact Draco spent any time with someone who wasn’t slytherin.

“I hate that girl.” Harriet said without thinking. It was unlike her but she was too raw to repress her anger. And she was angry of not knowing what was going on. Lupin hadn’t visited her yet. Lily neither, certainly busy looking after Neville and chewing him out for being so reckless.

“Why? Because she dislikes your hair? Then you’re the same as her.”

“Oh my god, Draco, are you trying to teach me a lesson about humanity?!”

Persephone whined in protest to Harriet’s outburst and she felt her ears burning a furious red as she realized how mean her question actually sounded. Draco simply snickered.

“There’s many sides to the same coin, Harriet. I don’t say I like Parkinson either. Or that I don’t hate you sometimes, for being a know-it-all goodie-two-shoes.”

She smiled at that, although she was still blushing too much for her own comfort.

“I’m sorry I said that, okay? Can you tell me about Lockhart? If you know anything of what happened?”

Malfoy took a seat next to her bed and explained what had happened after she’d been sent flying.

“We were losing control, if you hadn’t noticed and Lockhart was overpowering us, when a werewolf barged out of nowhere. Instead of coming after us, it went right for him. Almost tore off his right arm. Teachers appeared everywhere, Snape, Evans, Flitwick and Quirrell. They immobilised Lockhart and then started looking after us. We’re in detention for three weeks you know. As soon as you’re free to get back to class.”

“Three weeks?!”

“It was either that or being taken off the Wrestomb team. You weren’t up for the vote.”

Malfoy didn’t mention how many points they had lost and Harriet wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Her next visit was Lupin, who hadn’t looked as tired in a long time. She tried making her cutest eyes at him, but he collapsed on the visitor chair, his shoulders hanging low beneath his worn-out jumper.

“If you’re not trying to get killed, you might change your tactic, young girl. You got lucky out there. And James Potter was never stupid enough to go after a dark wizard when he was in his first year of school.”

0“I… I’m sorry, dad. I knew it was bad idea, but… Things had escalated so much already. And in the end, it turned out alright."

Remus’ eyes grew harder.

“ _Alright_? You could have plummeted to your own dead. If it wasn’t the fractured bones, it would have been the cold...! The giant squid lifted you out of the water and had to make a ruckus for Snape to even know where you were!”

“I was worried about the whole school. Aunt Lily had already been cursed once and you had worked so hard on catching him… I thought we could make a difference. There was a lot of us against him.”

“I won’t approve that either. You put each of your friends in danger. I don’t care if they did it willingly. You can’t try to start your own order of the phoenix! No matter how much you’ll study and practice and feel like a great witch in Wrestomb, you can’t learn all that someone like Lockhart or you-know-who knows.”

Harriet felt disheartened. She hadn’t mean… Tears welled up in her eyes and she swallowed them back down, knowing Lupin was right and hating herself for not controlling her emotions enough.

“I’m a good witch.” She protested.

“Of course you are, turtle bug. But if you insist on being this reckless, I’ll take you out from this school right this instant.”

“Oh no, dad, please! I know you mean well, but this was… This was a one-time mistake!”

Her father looked up to the ceiling, sincerely hoping she wouldn’t commit that mistake again. He wondered if he had been too lenient or praised her too much while she grew up.

“Harriet, I won’t always be able to rush in and take the villain out. There might not be teachers that suspect something and will come to your aid. You’re learning how to protect yourself _if_ danger show up, you’re not supposed to run right into danger. Do you understand that?”

She nodded, wishing Lupin would give her one of his hugs. But he remained on his chair, too far to touch. He had been in wolf form Friday and didn’t trust himself. Not when his emotions were so volatile.

“From now on, I’ll be coming to get you home on every weekend, Harriet.”

She couldn’t protest. She missed spending time with him. And maybe Sirius would show up, if he was still alive. The idea made her shudder and Remus stroked her hair.

“It’s not a punishment. I just want to make sure you wait until I’m forty or fifty to risk your life again.”

She gave him a frail smile and hoped things would be as easy with the teachers. Fortunately, she was back on her feet on Thursday. Slightly wobbly, but she went back to the dorm, where she found Tracey, hiding in her bed.

“Are you sick?”

A coughing fit answered her.

“I guess since nobody knew I was out there with all of you, it’s my divine punishment for getting away from detention.”

Harriet paled. She really wanted this year to be over with. At least for the detentions and all.

“At least, our goal was attained.”

“And Lockhart was badly burned. I heard his wand went missing.”

Harriet wondered if it had fallen in the lake somehow. She had been holding it even when she flew in the air.

“Did you hear that the squid rescued me?”

“I saw it with my own eyes, Harriet. When you…” she coughed a bit and resumed. “When Lockhart sent you flying, I rushed after you, hoping I could do something. I had forgotten about the seven league boots and ended up on the other side of the forbidden forest. By the time I had found you, there was a hole in the ice right in the middle of the lake and a tentacle came out, holding you as gently as possible. Professor Snape was coming out of the forest and I threw a snow ball at his feet to make sure he’d notice.”

Harriet was shocked to say the least. But that reminded her of the giant squid’s message.

“He wanted to tell me something and he saved me the other day. If only it could get warmer, I could get a few answers from him.”

“You’re already thinking about breaking curfew again!”

Harriet sighed. It wasn’t her fault if she was discovering all kind of things that made it impossible to follow every rules.

“Do you know a spell to bring spring faster?”

“No, but I wish it existed. I’m sick of being sick.”

Harriet felt for her friend and tried her best in cheering her up. She couldn’t wait to see the others and make sure they were all okay. Each and every member of their little group had visited at least once when she was in the infirmary, but she wanted to verify if they would still be okay after a few days and the dust had settled. What if Neville wondered if it was a good thing to remain friends with her? After all, they had threatened to take him off the team and it was his dream to be a Wrestomb player at least during his years at Hogwarts.

She wouldn’t take it away from him, not if she had a choice.

When she stepped out of the common room, Snape was waiting for her.

“Detention start at six in class 704. If I ever learn that you’ve been snooping around my office, miss Potter, I’ll make sure that instead of detention, you be expelled from this school. Did I make myself clear?”

“Crystal, sir.”

February was barely starting. And Harriet wondered if she wasn’t starting the worst half of her year. Although, Lockhart was wandless and wounded and in captivity now. What could happen around the school grounds now that the most obvious danger was removed?

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd really appreciate thoughts on this story. Thanks for reading it so far. :)


	13. Your house go first

 

The professors had taken a lot of time to organize detention. Since Draco, Harriet, Ron and Neville were all first year and had clearly been the main organizers, Flitwick had suggested not to give them any more time together to pull another similar stunt. So each student changed detention’s task in turns. Harriet was in herbology with Sprout on Mondays, she helped Quirrell in feeding the Jarveys their class had been raising in the latest semester on Tuesday. The overgrown ferrets were rude, often saying _boy_ when they saw her, when they didn’t go for outright insults. Harriet didn’t mind that much, especially when the rest of the class wasn’t there to worsen the words. On Wednesday she would manually clean every cauldron of the potion class, while Lily corrected written exams.

Lily hadn’t taken lightly the fact Harriet had put herself and a whole bunch of classmates in danger. In fact, Harriet wasn’t sure if they would ever get back to how their relationship was before this first year of school. Professor Evans was distant with her, barely commented her potion-making skills in class. She had declared that if Harriet cared so little about her advice, she wouldn’t give it anymore. And more than anything else, that hurt.  The girl missed her joyful aunt.

Thursdays, she wrote an expose on all the mistakes she had done when confronting Lockhart under Snape’s scrutiny. The first week was easy enough, but on the two others, Snape gave her back the parchment, pointing out that she had forgotten some things. She was starting to make stuff up and wondered if he had been there, hiding behind some trees and taking notes before to jump in and rescue the students. It was preposterous of course. But she wasn’t exactly happy with her Thursday and couldn’t wait for detention to be over. Fridays were off for Harriet. And since all of her friends were in detention on that specific day, she couldn’t see them outside of classes. McGonagall finally came back from her travel, immediately taking back the class charges she had given to Flitwick during her absence.

All the concerned students feared her punishment, but she didn’t give much thought to the incident.

“I can’t expel half of our first years. There’s so little new students each year, the school would be unsustainable before long.”

Those were the words repeated to Neville by Lily and the group felt finally safe. Two weeks in their detentions, the match of Wrestomb opposing Gryffindor and Slytherin finally arrived. Harriet and Draco had been warned by Marcus that if he realized they were holding back because of their friends from Gyffrindor, they would be off the team for the years to come. The pressure was high on either side. The winning team would go into the finals, since every match had been a draw so far. Harriet was positively nervous and Cho Chang, who had been a tremendous help in keeping up with her studies despite the detentions and all the plans she made, offered her a small pendant.

“For good luck.” She said with her usual smile.

Harriet slipped on the pendant without an after thought, keeping it beneath her shirt. When the match started, she felt heavy and light-headed and suggested to remain on the bench for the duelling competition. Marcus wasn’t really happy with that, knowing how much Draco and her had trained on teaming in any kind of duel. She tried pinching her face, but the weird, heavy feeling remained. She could barely look at the match and everything seemed to be going in slow motion. In fact, much of her teammates seemed slower than usual. Ron outran Marcus with ease. The duel… 

She couldn’t remember the duel no matter how hard she thought of it. When Lee Jordan’s cheerful commentary came, announcing Gryffindor’s victory, she was shocked.

Was it over already?!

When she tried to get up from the bench, she collapsed to the ground and felt an ashamed blush spreading on her cheeks. What was happening to her?

“Now, girl, I know we lost, but it’s no reason to…”

“I’m not doing it on purpose.” She retorted.

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. She took off the pendant and realized that she was lighter without it. The weird, dizzying feeling was gone too.

“What the hell are you doing with that thing?”

“I… I think it was cursed.”

She couldn’t believe it, but Cho had given her that good luck charm with one single goal. To prevent her from playing in the match. And now their team had lost. Malfoy snickered at her, stole the pendant from her hands and turned on his heels, clearly annoyed. Marcus gave her a hand, dismissing her words and their team went back to their assigned shower room, the guys commenting on the match.

“It’s not fair that all the Weasley are in the same house. That Ronald is something else,” Terrence observed.

Harriet was turning the idea of Cho’s treason around in her head. They hadn’t become close friends, but she had always though they were studying buddies. The young girl had helped her older classmate practicing defense against the dark arts. Cho had given her cues for transfiguration and even lend her magic history notes to Harriet so she could check if she hadn’t missed anything in the soporific classes. And now, she gave her a cursed pendant to make sure she wouldn’t play Wrestomb?

She still looked gloomy when she walked back toward the castle, being ignored by their team captain and teammate. It was Malfoy who brought her out of her stupor.

“I hope you don’t seriously believe that you not playing is the whole reason why our team lost, Potter.”

She jumped at his harsh tone and didn’t know what to say.

“We don’t need you, Potter. We would have lost with you playing or not. And this little thing here is the reason why I warned you to stick to Slytherin!” He added, shoving the pendant in her face. He knew what it was, didn’t he? Malfoy had an uncanny ability to identify dark magic anywhere. “But would you listen to me?” he went on. “No. Not Harriet Potter who can befriend anyone and tell who to trust instantly. We fought a dark mage just a while back. Where do you think the guy came from? He was a student just like us once. So keep in mind that you can’t trust anyone. Don’t share tricks with the enemy, hoping he’ll let you have a shot at him. This game is a competition and when we talk about competition, anything can happen.”

Harriet knew he was right. Harriet understood where he wanted to take her. He wanted to make sure she wouldn’t repeat the mistake of trusting people from other houses. But somehow, his whole monologue sounded a lot like he wanted her to give up on her friendship with Neville or Ron. Those two were their rivals in Wrestomb. They were from the house that could never get along with their own house. But she wasn’t like the other Slytherins. Neville had been her best and only friend for so long.

“I understand that I’ve made a mistake, Malfoy, you don’t have to…”

Her voice broke down and she hated herself for not being brighter and not understanding before that Cho trying to gain her thrust was all about bringing her out of her team. She hated herself for believing in Malfoy’s words and wondering who else could betray her. James had been betrayed by his secret’s keeper. Her fathers had never told her directly, but she knew. Peter Pettigrew had sold him out. She might still have a father and even know her mother’s identity if the rat hadn’t said anything to the wrong persons. But this was a school. She had managed to stay friend with Neville despite being in different house. Heck, Malfoy had even agreed to work with them so that they could defeat a common enemy and had admitted that Longbottom wasn’t incompetent with magic like he’d once say.

“…rub it in.” she finished her sentence quickly before to run for the closest empty classroom. She needed to be alone. Needed to process what had happened and why she was getting sad over it. Did she suddenly care about Wrestomb? She cared about being a good member on her team. She cared about fitting in with the Slytherin, despite her rocky start. She cared about forgetting her mistakes and learning more and…

She felt the magic coiling around her and inwardly screamed before that invisible ropes tied themselves around her ankles and dragged her right through the floor. This wasn’t the time for one of Snape’s trap, she really didn’t have the heart for it. But at least, Malfoy was out of her sight and couldn’t find her easily, not with Hogwarts being the maze it was.

When she heard voices, she was surprised at first. Then she recognized professor Quirrell’s voice who was talking with a woman she had barely saw once or twice among the corridors.

“Sybill, please, be reasonable.”

“I swear I saw a dark omen, Quirinus! If you don’t help me in finding…”

Harriet tried to understand where she had fallen. Or to remember if she’d ever heard Quirrell’s first name before. The floor had swallowed her down and let her go in a slow and silent fall, until she was lying on the floor of some empty classroom -somehow her wish came true- and she had her back to them, lying on her side behind a large desk. The ropes were still tightly wrapped around her ankles and wrists and she didn’t dare to shuffle out of them for the moment being. Whatever she had fallen upon sounded mightily interesting. Both adults had been so preoccupied with the conversation at hand that they hadn’t notice her at all.

Trelawney had stopped talking, fumbling with something that caused Quirrell to gasp out loud.

“You see it too, don’t you?”

“What did you do to yourself, Sybill? This must have hurt an awful…”

“I couldn’t feel it at the time, I was entirely focused on the vision taking over me. And if we don’t do something, I’m afraid we will have more to worry about than a dog being beaten to death by some dark wizard.”

“Maybe we should report this to…”

“McGonagall wouldn’t help and you know it better than I do. She’s so obsessed with her researches, she can barely remember the name of her own students.”

“Careful now, my dear. If she were to hear you…”

“Haven’t I use a few protective spell on this class already?”

“No you haven’t. You were… focused on me.” He finished, sounding more shy than Harriet ever remembered him being in any class.

“Don’t be so flustered, Quirin. Snape and Evans are far worse than we could ever be and they’re head of house! But I’m getting side-tracked again, I need to focus, you know how easy it is for me to forget and… My vision, right!”

He heaved a sigh and there was a little clap sound. Harriet was fairly annoyed that she couldn’t see them. She started rolling on her back but realized her arms were stuck in such a way that she would only hurt herself if she tried to move without getting out of the ropes.

“I’m sure we can prevent it from happening. Dumbledore left something in this school, something that can repel any dark intention if put in the right hands.”

“That’s almost a legend, Sybill.”

“Almost is not absolute enough for me. We need to locate it, unless you want one of your student to die before the end of the year.”

While Harriet was really alarmed, Quirrell sounded annoyed. If Harriet had known how often Trelawney had predicted students dying, she might have understood why her teacher wasn’t more stressed.

“I don’t want to dismiss your claim, Sybill. But I think you should go to the infirmary first…”

“If I go, McGonagall might learn about it and ask questions. It’s already enough that I have to answer her about my classes and my grading. You’ll help me, Quirrin?”

The surname sounded as awful the second time around, but Harriet wasn’t one to judge. Quirrell quickly promised to aid her in any way he could and they exited the classroom after some weird sounds that Harriet preferred not to wonder upon for too long. Grown-ups in love could be so gross sometimes. She wondered if the _woman_ that meant doom and harm was Trelawney, or her prediction, or something else. If only she could get straight answers from the squid, or be able to talk with him without waiting for spring! She tried to undo the ropes tied around her wrists, slowly freeing herself. After the incident of the invisible student that had been forgotten, Snape had reducing the lasting time of his traps, without mentioning it to anyone of course. Appearing nice to the students would have been showing weakness.

Harriet finally manage to get back on her feet and was a lot more prudent as she wandered along the halls, passing in front of the library without stopping. She hadn’t forgotten Cho’s cheap trick and wasn’t ready to confront the girl. Not to mention the fact that if Hufflepuff won against Ravenclaw, she might be fighting a match against her to know which house would end up in third and fourth place, all thanks to the draws before Christmas.

“Potter, Potter, where are you going so quickly?” A voice asked her just as she was about to get on a staircase.

It sounded like Granger, but Harriet wasn’t sure, since the girl rarely initiated any discussion with anyone. Looking over her shoulder, she discovered the Ravenclaw girl, who was smiling down at her with wicked eyes. Something smelled fishy.

“Is that any of your business, Granger?”

“I wanted to know if you were feeling better. I saw you couldn’t compete in the match. Where you… under the weather?”

There was something deliberate about Hermione’s tone and Harriet feared her own reaction. She had no patience and was a bit overwhelmed by everything she had heard and been through today.

“Get to the point. I know you couldn’t care less about my health.”

Hermione feigned indignation before walking up to her, lowering her voice, a small, nasty smile showing her upper teeth.

“Was the effect instantaneous? Dizziness and…”

Harriet understood and felt something really close to fear. How far would that girl go?

“The pendant…?”

“You’re brilliant, when you take time to think, Harriet. You must understand I accepted to be a part of it only so I could test a few new spells. No curse, I swear. Now tell me what exactly…”

Harriet didn’t let her say another word. Her wand was in her hand and the jinx out of her mouth before she’d even think about it. Who the hell took the risk to hurt someone only to test new spells? What kind of freaking spells? Hermione lips were moving but there were no words coming out. She blinked, raising a hand to her throat and let out a whimper of a groan, her eyes darkening as they darted back to Harriet.

“Ever try to spell me again behind my back and I’ll make you permanently mute!”

It was a terrible threat to make, but Harriet was too shocked to remember who she had in front of her. Hermione undid her spell and laughed at her.

“I’m years ahead of you, girl. And you’ve just made a very, very bad decision, jinxing me just now.”

Harriet was ready to shield herself, but Granger shook her head, implying that retribution would come later, surely when she least expected it. She walked back into the library without another word. The people from the paintings on the walls were all shocked and a knight went as far as asking her:

“Is that really how young ladies act nowadays? What terrible, terrible times we face.”

Harriet turned back and almost leaped into the empty space where her staircase had been before catching herself. She was furious, but deep down, she felt desperate. She waited anxiously for her stairs to fly back to her store and walked as fast as she could without running. She skipped on the Great Hall and zipped by Lily, who extended a hand out to her, only to be pushed away. She was almost running when she finally reached her common room and barked the password at the statue which moved with a grimace.

Few Slytherins were there and those few were older students, usually among the ones that ignored her. One booed her for staying on the bench, but she let the insult slid on her back, firmly set on keeping herself together until she reached her bed. Echo welcomed her with a bark and she gathered the small wolf in her arms, hiding her face against her fluffy belly, her shoulders shaking and her heart breaking a little because she had been mistaken about Cho and because she had no idea what next bad thing could fall on Hogwarts.

She cried until her lungs hurt and Echo whined, gently pushing her head against the girl’s forehead. Her eyes were puffy and Harriet drifted to sleep, her stomach empty and her mind filled with unease. When she woke up with a start, Pansy and Tracey were both tucked in their respective beds and fast asleep. Harriet was less scared and mostly angry now and she decided that she had waited long enough for answers. She changed her shirt for a dry one, gave a kiss on Echo’s head, grabbed her invisibility cloak and slipped out of the dormitory without taking more time to reflect on her action.

She had promised Remus to be good and careful, but danger hid in so many places, she couldn’t keep her promise. Not now. Not with potential enemies in every house of this school. She went as quickly as she could by the different halls and stairs that let her walk out in the cold, night air. The lake was a good walk from the castle, but she was wearing boots and cast a warming spell on her cloak, making sure to remove the tracks she made in the snow.

A single reducto was enough to break the ice and she wondered if she could contact the squid without risking her life in the cold water. She hadn’t thought things that far and was already tired from her long day and restless sleep, but she wouldn’t cower now. She was already out, risking detention and her father’s wrath and maybe her life too. Might as well go all the way.

Before that she could do something incredibly dangerous, a voice reached her, whispering her name inside her mind. The voice was boyish and frightened but somehow, it calmed her despite all that.

_Harriet._

“You’re supposed to speak with latin here and there,” she reminded him.

It occurred to Harriet she should still consider the squid like an animal, but she couldn’t.

_Don’t be ridiculus. I wouldn’t switch a name to Latin._

“Can we talk? I have a lot of questions and spring is taking too long…”

_You reminiscare. I can talk but not for long. Never long, I’m timens._

“Okay. First I want to thank you for saving me the other day.”

She saw the water bubbling an instant in the hole she’d made through the ice and wondered where the giant squid could be.

_Ask me questions, Harriet. I’m grateful you’re melior._

“Can you tell me about the woman that could cause our doom?”

_Not a woman. An agmen._

“An ag-what?”

_It’s hard for meo. Agme… Many women, Harriet. Not a single one._

“How do you know it?”

_I can’t tell tu. My speech is limited as you can veo._

“Okay. What are you exactly?”

_Not sure I reminiscare. I’m… lost._

“You’re telepathic though. Could you teach me how to do it?”

_I don’t know. Mea culpa._

“Do you have a name?”

She heard a sharp intake of breath in her mind and it resounded for a long moment, as if the squid’s hesitation was transforming his telepathic breath into an echo of some sort. After a long time, the boy’s voice came back, shaky at first, sounding exasperated when Latin invaded his sentence, and then more sure.

_Finn. Voco… Call me Finn._

Harriet smiled despite the cold air, and the fact she was talking with a giant squid hiding in a frozen lake.

“Could you be my friend, Finn? Or will you turn your back on me when you won’t need me anymore?”

_Omino friends, Harriet. I’ll help you as much as I poteam. Sorry for all those words._

“I can tell it’s not on purpose. And you won’t try eating me again, I bet?”

_Numquam._

At no time, Harriet deduced. Never then? It sounded good. She crossed her legs and wondered how to ask him the right questions about the whole situation of Hogwarts.

To be continued…


	14. Of retribution and secrets

 

“You can’t tell me her name?”

_There are rules I can’t disrump…_

“Why are there rules? Are you trapped somehow?”

_I don’t have enough tempus. Swimming high satis freeze me up._

Harriet suddenly felt ashamed for subjecting the squid to pain by dragging on. There was so much she wanted to know, but she had never wandered if the cold got to him too. He was clearly still active although the lake was frozen, but there might be some source of warmth at the bottom.

“Do you need help? The rock you sent, it was asking for help.”

A long pause before that he dared to admit, on a voice that was afraid now.

_Maybe. Harriet, I can’t give you purificae answers._

“Tell me what you can. There was a prophecy or something and I’m afraid someone could be in danger.”

_There is one teacher who mendacium. Lying lupa! She’s… head of agmen. She’s… Prexes! I can’t say as much as I volo. Look for a mark. Vulpes mark._

“Vulpes… Like a fox?”

She had checked a bit of Latin but wasn’t sure of every of his words.

_Yes Harriet, vulpes. It’s their agmen’s sign. Find it. Then you’ll know utro e danger comes from._

“I’m pretty sure you’d rather speak only English, Finn. I’ll try to find something to help you while I’m looking for that mark. Do you know anything about something Dumbledore could have hidden in the castle?”

_Remissie me. Too cold._

“Oh, sorry. I’ll come again when it gets warmer, okay? Take care.”

_Gratie, Harriet. Stay safe._

The voice left her with a shivering feeling in her mind. As if she shared the cold that seeped through the amphibian’s flesh for an instant. Then it was gone and she was alone, sitting in the dark. Her walk back to the castle was slightly anxious. The shadows in the night looked scarier than usual. One of the teachers, one of the female teacher had bad intentions and was the leader of an army that would bring harm to the student. Or maybe was she learning about the-witch-without-a-name. Could it be…? Or was she mad for listening to some voice in her head that supposedly belonged to the giant squid? She hadn’t even saw the squid tonight.

 _Finn_ , she thought.

What kind of squid had a name and a boy’s voice? Hadn’t he called out for help? Didn’t he sound afraid at some point in their discussion. Had the poor creature been cursed? Why was she so interested in that when she should focus on student? Why did she felt so drawn by the lake and its mysterious occupant? She wanted to talk about someone over this. Tracey could give her some feedback, but no answers to her question. But was there an adult that she could tell who wouldn’t prevent her from meeting with the squid again?

Sirius was the more daredevil among the grown-ups she knew. And being her father, he might not see with a good eye the fact she had almost been eaten once by her new friend. But the squid had saved her life. And he sounded so honest. He’d said he was lost. She wanted to help him. It might be a spell, although she didn’t know if squids could do magic. He could certainly talk to her mind, which wasn’t normal. Or maybe it was and she didn’t know it already because they hadn’t studied giant squids with Quirrell. Nevertheless, she couldn’t go up to Quirrell and ask if telepathic octopus-like creature where common in the magic world.

If Lily wasn’t so distant, she’d go to her. But maybe she should. The separation between her and Lily was about breaking her trust after all. If she was honest and worked in earning it back… But wouldn’t Lily tell Snape? Wouldn’t Snape feel forced to tell her parents? Or well, compelled, since it meant putting her in trouble?

She barely noticed the cat walking in the corridors. A cat that wasn’t Filch’s, and had a funny mark around its eyes, like rounded glasses. She went right back to her dorm, her head filled with more questions than before. But at least, she wasn’t thinking of Granger’s threat or Cho Chang’s way of dragging her out of the match. She drifted off to sleep, wondering if Finn was really a squid or if she might be turning crazy.

…

Snape had observed various changes. McGonagall, for one, looked a lot less irritable than usual. Quirrell was acting suspicious, asking some other teachers for information. The shy man had even gone to professor Binns, in hopes of information. It didn’t make sense to ask anything to a ghost. Not that kind of ghost. Trelawney was more agitated then usual and Harriet Potter was not herself since the match. She kept to herself, evaded her friends and always shot glance over her shoulder. Moreover, she had gotten into eleven of his traps in the span of a single week. Compared to the once in a month occasion, it sounded as if she wasn’t focused anymore. Or maybe she was too focused on something else.

Lily was also strange, but in a subtler way than her “adopted” niece. She wouldn’t eat the food she usually liked, her magic had a different quality to it, as mesmerizing as ever, but with something beneath. An underlying wave of uncertainty. She often looked for him when they were in the same room and as soon as she would find him, she would hold his gaze, her eyes mysterious, her smile tentative. She was hiding something from him, and he would be damned if he didn’t find what in the next few hours.

But first he needed to make something about the other change. Hermione Granger had gotten too far too quickly in her studies and was proving to be difficult. She spent hours in the library and even more hours up according to the Ravenclaw’s paintings, incanting and spell-binding multiple objects at once. Severus knew a lot about experimental magic. He also that a first year student, no matter how brilliant, shouldn’t be so interested in developing new spell. Or curses. He had had his own panoply of curses, but not in first year, first year wasn’t for this kind of exercise. At least until miss Granger set foot in the school. Most teachers were amazed by her excellent work with magic, if not properly terrified by her reactions. Granger had a visceral need of answering questions. She asked questions too, but she most certainly answered them.

“I think she’s very lonely.” Lily had said. “She never asks for anyone’s help, when she give advice, it’s to show how superior she is to the others.”

Snape could understand feeling lonely. And even getting mean for it. But he wouldn’t normally worry about eleven years old girl. Unless they jinxed his house-elf into oblivion and prove to be a potential danger for their fellow students. Hermione terrified her classmates and she also terrified her teachers. McGonagall had observed fondly how incredibly promising the girl was. Sprout had whispered how dangerously cunning the girl was, not without complaining about the plants that had been hacked or vandalized in her greenhouses. And Flitwick had found some of the poor plants’ remains in his house’s common room.

“She’s far too bright to forget it there. Either someone is trying to put this on her, either she wants to be found.” He thought out loud.

Flitwick had charged Snape of investigating the young girl’s inventions, because the magic was starting to get a little too dark even for the spell teacher. Being the defense against the dark arts main teacher, Snape certainly was a good choice for this job. But he had yet to acquire any of Granger’s inventions. Until Draco brought him a certain pendant that used to be a good luck charm. The boy had kept it for a full week, at first thinking he could understand the complex curses that had made Harriet feel so strange. Now Snape had tried all the usual detection and defense spells he knew and a few he’d created himself. And the thing was still refusing to cooperate with him.

“Is this about recognition, Granger? What’s going on in your brilliant, warped mind?”

If he could use legilimensy on someone, it wouldn’t be that girl. But she was now in the top three of his list.

Lily barged in his office without knocking, making him jump from his seat.

“Were you busy, Severus?” she asked him, her voice barely even.

“No, I…”

He noticed the redness on her cheeks and a slight trembling in her hands. Why was she so stressed out?

“Is anything wrong?”

She shook her head.

“No. Of course not. I… You might prefer to sit back down. Or maybe we should go somewhere else. I’ve been slightly confused lately and I can’t go on like this anymore.”

Frowning even more, Severus walked around the desk, quickly walked up to her and brought the woman in his arms. She hugged him right back, her trembling subsiding.

“We barely talked about it, once I think, but I… Sev, I did every possible test to make sure of it, and I’m pregnant.”

The professor forgot entirely about the pendant on his desk. He held her tighter and let his mind go blank for an instant.

…

Harriet didn’t know what to expect when professor Evans asked her and Neville to stay after class that day. The other students muttered in their backs and both teenagers were somewhat anxious when the class finally emptied itself and they were left in front of Lily. She kept her serious but kind expression and beamed at both of them when she decided she had waited enough.

“I have an incredible news for the both of you!”

Neville blinked while Harriet understood their status quo might just have ended. This wasn’t a teacher talking to her, but her aunt again.

“I’m pregnant. The family is going to get bigger in a few months.”

“Wh…wow!” Harriet caught herself as quickly as she could. The idea that Lily could ever be pregnant had never crossed her mind. Who had children when they already had one the age of Neville?

Neville wasn’t as enthusiast as Harriet, but he didn’t say anything at first, clearly conflicted. He didn’t want to have a reaction that would disappoint his adoptive mother, but he might have expected such an outcome a lot more than his friend. He was more exposed to Lily’s relationship with Severus and knew how serious it was.

“It’s not going to change anything between us, Nev, you have to believe me. You’ll always be my son and my priority.”

“I know that. I’m… I’m just really surprised.” He whispered, looking down at the hands he had unconsciously laid on his desk.

Lily put her hand over his, her smile warm and also a little frail.

“I’m still surprised myself. But it’s going to be okay. I should be able to finish this year of school and McGonagall said she had a few potential replacements.”

“You won’t teach us on next year?!” they both startled.

“I’ll be back before you know it.” She countered. “And I will be close, just at Hogsmeade, remember? I might try to keep Lupin company. And you’ll have to visit me as much as possible, both of you, or I’m going to get so bored.”

Now her smile reached their faces and it was impossible to stay insensible to her excited cheerful state. Neville later told Harriet that the prospect of becoming a big brother wasn’t so bad. He could always escape baby’s duty by running to her house during the summer or staying busy with school works. And the rest of the time, he would simply enjoy it.

“But will Snape even be able to take care of a baby?” Harriet mused.

“Shhh! Mom said she don’t want anyone else to know before the end of the year.”

Which meant the entire school knew two days later, surely the paintings fault, or maybe an impertinent ghost. Snape had received congratulations from most of his colleagues, while the students judged better not to comment the situation. Not to him anyway. The twins had looked disgusted when they’d learned it.

“You realize that means that Snape has…” Frederica started, scrunching her eyes.

“Don’t say it aloud!” Georgia interrupted, clasping her hands over her ears. “For all that is good in this world, don’t even think it, please!”

“But it might have taken multiple…”

“Just DON’T!”

Ron had choked on his chunk of meat and looked puzzled while Neville was turning slightly red.

The Slytherins were mitigated about the news. Their head of house looked too dark and snappy to be a father, didn’t he? But his personal life didn’t change the fact he was a good teacher and on his first class after the news was shared around, Snape proved to be as gloomy and directive as ever. Nobody could tell how nervous the idea of becoming a father was making him. He was that good at hiding his emotions. Harriet was still afraid of Granger’s revenge, but she let go of her guard for a few days. The match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had been a massacre. Magic wrestling had proven Dudley to be the stronger wizard around the school. Cho managed a few good spells in dueling, but the constant underdog of Hogwart still won by a large margin. Cedric Diggory was not to be trifled with when he held a wand. Harriet wasn’t sure she liked the outcome. Of course, it meant she would be able to take her anger out on Cho in the “for glory” match that would oppose their team to claim the third place in the competition. But it also meant that the cheating Chang had gone through hadn’t served any purpose. She wondered if the girl had tried anything against Hufflepuff.

Whenever she met the Asian girl in the library, she ignored her entirely. Tracey was Harriet’s omnipresent shadow, worried about Granger’s threat and hoping that if her friend was never left alone, the Ravenclaw’s prodigy wouldn’t try anything. For about two weeks, it proved helpful.

Harriet was wondering how she could identify a fox mark on any female teacher and had written up a list of them. There was many she didn’t know, like Septima Vector, who taught arithmancy or Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies teacher. Aurora Sinistra was did Astronomy and the other names were all far too obscure to Harriet to remember them. But when she mentioned the fox’s mark to Tracey, she lost many hope of getting anything.

“Fox? Like a tattoo you mean? No decent witch has tattoos.”

“Hey, watch it, first year,” Terrence butted in. “My mom has some and she’s a refined woman.”

Tracey looked down and remained quiet for an entire minute before to grab Harriet by the arm and pull her in another corner of the common room.

“What I’m going to say must remain between us, Harriet.” She continued in a hushed voice.

“Okay. My lips are sealed.”  
“Fox’s mark is rumored to be a symbol of Men Eaters. It’s not among every circle that we say that. Malfoy might know, with _his_ father, but otherwise… The mark is somewhere no one is supposed to find it, right above the shoulder blade.”

Harriet couldn’t help herself, she asked her as quietly as she could.

“How do you know all that?”

Her best friend flushed and paled at the same time.

“I can’t tell you here, Harriet.”

But the young witch wouldn’t let it go, it was already clear in her dark, determined eyes.

“Why don’t we take a little walk?”

Tracey sighed but agreed. They gave a small nod back to Draco, who was currently telling Crab and Goyle about a legendary creature, half snail half snake that sounded properly gross.

The first step was just as every other day Harriet had walked out of her dorm. She was leading the way, her wand in one of her robes’ pocket. She knew she didn’t need it in the hall right next to the common room. Snape never put traps right in front of students’ quarters. It was a limit McGonagall had imposed. The second step was Harriet’s first and only warning. The stone beneath her feet wobbled and simply vanished. The torches on the hall all turned off with a weird, clicking sound. The air was suddenly cold and Harriet felt her foot falling through the floor. Or the floor pulling on her foot. She tried to keep herself upright, but the magic that engulfed her was too strong for human’s resistance. She felt Tracey’s hand gripping at her sleeve while she plunged forward, as if falling from a building. The sleeve ripped off and the floor swallowed her whole, plunging her in absolute darkness.

“I’ve made this box really special for you, miss Potter. No sound can come out. But they can come in though.”

“Granger?!”

“Right, good hearing. But you’re already enjoying my gift. I wonder how long it will take you to get out of there. Or if you’ll ever understand how.”

“Lumos.” Harriet whispered.

Her wand gave a feeble light, as if the magic was warped or more accurately, reduced to a minimum.

There was a wall in front of her and on either side. She backed up and hit another wall. Wood. Dark, damp wood. Creaking sounds behind her. All around her. The ceiling was too low for her to stand up. Floor felt damper than the walls and she smelled something foul. The ceiling oozed of some dark liquid that ran down her hair in a constant dribble. She shivered, wondering how Granger had pulled that off.

“Is this a game?”

“I don’t have time for games, Potter. Consider it a lesson. If you want to mess with me, you need to be strong enough. And intelligent too. But I hope you’d already understood that.”

“Of course. But since you’re so out of my league, can you give me a pointer? Or some kind of clue?”

“How about a rule? If you get scared, you lose.”

Hermione’s voice disappeared and Harriet was left alone, with the flickering light of her wand. The oozing liquid was tainting her clothes and she put one hand over her face, trying to shield her eyes. It didn’t burn, but it was cold and icky. The walls seemed to be closing in on her.

_She wouldn’t kill me. She’ll try to drive me mad with fear, but she won’t kill me._

Harriet tried a reducto on the wall in front of her. It bounced right of and she shielded herself in time. The direct approach wasn’t working, as she’d expected. At least, Tracey must have gone to look for help. If Hermione hadn’t trapped her too. The thought was almost enough for the girl to lose it. Then, the black liquid pooling at her feet start to raise and move. When she understood what it was turning into, she desperately pushed her back against the wall, throwing spells at her feet. Ants. Spiders. Centipedes. She felt something crawling in her hair. The creaks turned into clicks. Furry, spider’s legs stroked her hand. She kicked and panicked and shrieked. One type of bug, she might have managed. But the multitudes she heard and felt. Something bite her ankle and she felt a desperate rage in her heart.

She’d been wrong. She might just die just from the stress. And she broke the rule Hermione had named. Fear overruled her. It seemed to last for hours. With her shrieking, shaking, thumping and soon she got too confused to even jinx the bugs properly. Then a light blinded her and arms were pulling her up and she dropped her wand. She tried to push them away. She didn’t want anything crawling on her. She needed to feel clean, to feel herself and not…

“Miss Potter. Harriet.”

She kept her eyes close, still shaking, still fighting against whatever was gripping at her. Was it a giant spider? Another acromentula, out for her blood. Could it not stop? Was there a spell that could knock herself unconscious, that could turn this into a simple nightmare?

“Harriet, it’s okay, it’s over.”

But something told Harriet it was only the beginning. And she dreaded facing any other trap Granger could set up for her.

To be continued…


	15. Magic seals can never heal

“We should obliviate her. She’s been traumatized.” A voice whispered.

Harriet didn’t remember being dragged in the infirmary, but she recognized the high and clear ceiling. She didn’t move, waiting for the crawling bugs on her skin. It didn’t come. And the ceiling was high, far. She was safe.

“This has gone too far,” Lily declared. “This kind of magic is…”

“We’re all agreed. And we can’t let anything like this happen again.” Severus said gravely. “McGonagall agreeing or not is the least of our concerns.”

“Sealing someone’s magic is really dangerous,” Quirrell warned.

“It hasn’t been done in years. We should contact the girl’s family.” An unknown voice observed coolly.

“Only one Muggle relative. I suspect he might be the main reason she’s this way.” Pomfrey remarked.

“I’d like to pity her, but you should have seen the state Harriet was in when I got her out. I don’t know what she heard or saw, but she was horrified.” Lily reminded them.

Harriet remembered and forced herself to shove the memory to the far back of her mind. She didn’t stir. She felt light headed and slightly nauseous.

“I hadn’t needed to comatose a student for the last three years.” Pomfrey complained. “And I know that a child this age shouldn’t be put in such a traumatic experience. This is a school, for heaven’s sake!”

“Don’t you chase students at night?” the cool female voice observed matter-of-factly.

“Because they’re roaming after curfew and because the castle can get dangerous at night! I never bite a student in my life.”

There was a forced clearing throat noise and a few coughs coming from the men in the rooms. Harriet couldn’t tell if someone else was there except from Snape and Quirrell, until Flitwick intervened:

“Granger has gone far enough for us to consider signaling her to the minister. I think sealing her magical ability to something more controllable would be the best option here. She’s still a child and might not understand what she did.”

“I doubt it, but you are right. With a potent seal, she shouldn’t be able to even unravel the magic subduing her. I wouldn’t put it past her to try.”

“We’ll need consent.” Lily warned. “At least from her. You know the seal won’t work unless she consents.”

“We won’t tell her that. It will be either staying at the school with the seal locking her magic capabilities or facing banishment from the wizarding world.”

“Banishment might be…”

“I’ll phrase it, Evans, Snape will assist me in the sealing spell. Septima, can you provide us your assistance?”

“I highly suggest to seal a part of her mind too, while you’re at it.”

Harriet wondered what a magic seal could mean. Of course, she wished it to Granger, because she was still traumatized, but she remembered how she had reacted when Hermione had told her she had cursed the pendant. She had been ready to throw curses at the girl, just like that. She might have done worse if she’d learn anything worse. And she didn’t want her magic sealed, even if she could keep most of her abilities in a reduced fashion.

Pomfrey let out a shocked whimper.

“She’s up and aware! All of you get out, except you Evans. I don’t need her any more traumatized than she is.”

Harriet slowly sat on her bed to see the retreating teachers. It was still the middle of the night if she could trust the dark sky out the windows. Pomfrey walked up to her and pour a potion in a glass as Lily sat on the bed.

“What was that all about?” she tried, her voice sounding hoarse.

She had yelled so much, it still hurt.

“Hush, girl, drink this. You’ll feel better.”

Harriet obeyed, but although the nausea left her, her fears and questions weren’t gone.

“I don’t want to forget.”

“You might prefer it, Harriet. You’ve been through one rough experience.”

She eyed Lily, wondering how shaken the woman really was. Had Lupin been warned?  She didn’t want him to be worried because she didn’t see a trap.

“It wasn’t nice. Not at all. But if you make me forget I might forgive her. And I don’t want to be careless around Granger.”

Lily sighed, ruffling her hair before to stroke her cheek in a maternal gesture.

“You shouldn’t have to watch your back around schoolmates. And I won’t mess with your memories unless you ask me. The offer will stand. Mischief is merely tolerated but we teachers must draw a line and it has been crossed. More than once.”

“You’d go against McGonagall?”

Pomfrey gave a snort.

“Against? Behind McGonagall. She doesn’t need to be consulted on every decision made in this castle.”

Harriet clearly saw her aunt tensing at that. And for an instant, she thought she glimpsed fear behind her uneasiness. McGonagall wouldn’t approve the seal on Hermione.

“Can I have time with my aunt, Mrs. Pomfrey?”

“Of course, Potter. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

Lily scooted a little closer to her.

“Is everything okay, Harriet?”

“I keep imagining the bugs walking all over my skin.” Was the first thing that came out of her lips.

Harriet would have wanted to keep it to the back of her mind, to focus on the questions that filled her heart. Mentioning the squid. Asking about the other female teachers, the fox mark. Instead, she was engulfed between Lily’s arms and felt a brief instant of panic before to grip to her aunt’s shoulders and let out a few, harsh breathes as she tempered down her own panic.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

She didn’t promise it wouldn’t happen again. The times weren’t easy and Harriet was glad for the honesty of the adults around her. When she felt better, she tried her voice. Steady enough.

“What does a seal do on a wizard or a witch?”

“You’ll learn in time, when you’re sixteen or seventeen. For now, Harriet, I want you to go back being a carefree first year. I know we haven’t done a perfect job at protecting you. But this…”

“It’s okay, aunt Lily,” Harriet told her. “I’m better now.”

…

Hermione gave consent to have her magic sealed. She looked terrified at the idea of being sent back home to her father and Lily wondered what could have happened to the young girl for her to be this way. She wanted to look into it, but Snape reminded her that the Muggles had their own child-protection policies. Wizards weren’t supposed to poke into Muggle’s business. He might be overprotective of her because of her pregnancy, but Lily vowed to herself to research Granger’s father. A few teachers seemed to think that the muggle born, although exceptional in skill, shouldn’t matter that much, not being from a wizard family. Lily knew this kind of judgment. She still received some of it every now and then.

She supervised the sealing spell, made the intricate potion involved herself. There were five steps to subdue someone’s magic, a sixth one to refrain the girl curious spirit. It felt wrong for many reasons. But Snape had gathered from Flitwick a dozen different cursed object and there had been the student that almost died from dehydration. So the teachers sowed magic together to restrict more magic. They had to practice on a few magical creatures first, since every spell had to be speechless, otherwise Granger could remember fragments and try to unravel it.

The girl looked small and frail when they gave her the glass of black potion. She sat in a simple chair, her wand lying on the floor at her feet. Flitwick had explained her as much as they deemed necessary. Pomfrey was just outside the door, in case anything turned bad. Snape monitored the magic while Quirrell kept the right instruments in motion.

“This is but a temporary seal to permit you to stay in our school, Hermione.” The dwarf teacher started. “You will be able to use magic in class and to defend yourself. But your wand won’t be able to perform dark spells, and you won’t feel compelled by dark or threatening magic. Do you have any questions?”

“I think you mistook my intentions.” She said.

“Did we?”

“I was trying to make sure no one would try to hurt me. I wouldn’t…”

She met Snape’s glare and gulped down, her fingers trembling at her sides.

“Hermione,” Lily started, standing next to her. “You will be safe in Hogwarts. If you ever feel in danger, you must come to us. You don’t have to fend for yourself.”

The young witch’s brown eyes gave her a look mixed between disbelief and disgust. The girl didn’t trust the adults. And with the operation they had prepared to restrain her in her capabilities, Lily couldn’t exactly say the girl was wrong. But that lack of faith had to come from somewhere.

“Where you hurt by anyone during this few months, miss Granger?”

Snape expected her to answer his girlfriend, but the question wasn’t academic, too personal actually. The girl held her mouth closed, her eyes sending daggers to the wall in front  of her.

“Let’s get on with it. Please obliviate me about this whole thing when we’re done.”

This hadn’t been part of the first deal, but Flitwick had hoped that Granger’s pride brought such a demand. He exchanged a look with Snape, before to flick his wand in complicated arabesques.

“Take a sip, miss Granger.”

The student obeyed with shaking hands. Lily had to fight against herself to let the girl go through it, simply watching for the first three steps. The potion tasted acrid and sour, the first spell was done by Flitwick, creating a hundred pentacles in the room, each changing colors like a kaleidoscope of lights. The next spell was made by Quirrell, using his silver, gonging instruments. The sound almost turned physical and hit Granger like a wall, pushing her back into her chair. Fourth step was Lily’s responsibility. She put her hands on the girl’s shoulders and slowly, one thread at a time, closed the seals that had wrapped around her magic. The contact was really intimate and needed someone gentle but firm. It had taken a while to convince Snape that Lily was the best for this part. She was the only known witch able to control wandless, voiceless magic that was purely fueled by feelings. Septima stood in the back of the room, waiting for her turn.

Lily saw a few things she hadn’t expected. She had connected part of her mind with Granger’s before she’d realized it. She didn’t want her to feel alone in this, because it had to be traumatic, no matter how much dark magic the student had been up to. The girl was yelling in her head, pushing her back with all her might. And there was a lot of rage hidden beneath that brilliant mind. A rage that seemed to root far, so far and deep, Lily almost fell in the abyss. But she braced herself, her fingers gripping tighter over Hermione’s shoulders. Maybe she would get a few answers right here.

The first flash was a child desk, littered with sheets of paper that consisted of numbers. Nothing but numbers. Lily frowned and focused, not hearing the teachers calling her. Hermione was sitting at the desk, reading the sheet as quickly as she could. Her index was dark from following every number and taking off a residue of ink from the paper. Lily evaluated the girl to be four years old. A tall silhouette entered the room and grabbed Hermione roughly, sending the papers flying.

“Did you memorize it?”

“Not… not yet.” She squealed.

“Hurry up, little brain.”

Hermione screamed in her head and the memory changed, warping on itself to show new pictures, a paper box covered with tape and dirt. The box’ sides were moving and muffled scream could be heard from inside. A man stood next to it, dressed with dark clothes, removing blood stain from his hands.

“Darn brat. I could have been rich if you’d recalled the layout better. Your memory should be perfect by now! Shut the hell up!”

He mercilessly kicked the box and Lily found herself inside, huddled with a bruised up and crying Hermione that was merely six years old, trapped inside a box way too small for her. The girl was cradling her right arm to herself, whimpering and not asking to be let out anymore. She was learning to accept every break she could have.

Another scream, a new flash. A muggle doctor stood by a younger version of Hermione’s father, trying to explain the result of some complicated tests.

“She’s a prodigy, mister Granger. Any book you give her, she remembers it after reading it only once. Her memory is so perfect, it’s a wonder she’s not autistic or something. She has the same abilities as high-functioning…”

“She can remember anything she sees?”

“That pretty much sums it up.”

His eyes looked at the three years old girl that was playing with pieces of wood and a dark smile grew on his lips. _Tool. Human computer._ The words rushed through Lily’s heart and mind. His daughter. His very own daughter. The potion teacher felt anger beyond compare and willed herself back to her own body, quickly finishing her part in the sealing process. Hermione was breathing hard and a few tears rolled down her face. Lily didn’t notice she was crying too. She simply knew that Granger couldn’t be let back into that horrible Muggle’s custody. And if she could obliviate a few more things than what was intended, she just might. No human being deserved that kind of treatment.

The fifth step was the only jinx part of the deal. Vector had proposed to do it. It was a counter-clock, to release the seal naturally once Hermione would be seventeen years old. Lily stood next to the girl and made sure she was still as alright as one could be. Snape made the spell locking any curiosity for dark magic and the seal was complete, leaving their student weeping and trembling in her chair.

“Obliviate me now. Please.”

Flitwick hesitated while Lily silently asked Severus for her wand.

“Let me.” She asked, drying her cheeks. “I owe it to her to make it strong and painless.”

Hermione looked paler than before, but Lily knew just what to erase. Snape could tell she used legilimens on the girl and felt a painful twitch in his heart. This kind of magic felt unforgivable. Lily was careful, leaving most of Hermione’s painful childhood memories intact, but taking away the goriest of them. She couldn’t replace them. But she could make space for happier memories. Sadly, she couldn’t make it so that every student in Hogwarts forget Hermione’s previous behaviour. But maybe the girl could have a fresh start. It might have been wishful thinking coming from Lily. Hermione was still a wounded, scared and wary young girl. But at least she didn’t remember the seal that restrained her magic. Or the dark objects she’d created.

The student was put to sleep and carried back to the infirmary, where she would wake up and heard she had fainted because she’d skipped breakfast. She might be confused for the first few days. But she would be less dangerous to others and mostly, to herself.

Snape dragged Lily with him once the teachers parted to resume their classes or other responsibilities.

“Sev, I’m going to be late.”

“What you did, there, Lily. I don’t know what you saw, but I think you’re being too emotional about this.”

“I’ve always been emotional. Now that I’m pregnant, I certainly hope you’re not going to act as if I carried a disease or something.”

“It’s not what I mean, and you know it. You spent too long in Granger’s head.”

“You should have seen what I saw. Any kid raised like that would be defensive.”

…

In the following morning, Harriet went back to Hogsmeade with her father. Lupin looked weary and for cause, his last transformation had happened two days earlier. Still, he bought her butterbeer and let her play in the snow with Echo, when he didn’t join in. For some reason, the teachers hadn’t told him what had happened the other day to his daughter. Hooch had declared that it should be kept as quiet as possible if they wanted to pull the wool over McGonagall’s eyes. A healthy meal and lots of laughs made Harriet feel as if everything was back to normal. It wasn’t until she slipped in her bed, Echo cuddling against her, that she remembered the crawling bugs and the oozing ceiling. Her nightmares shook her awake and she soon realized that she wouldn’t be able to fall back to sleep.

Not with the sickening noises and pictures running in her head. She got up and knocked on Lupin’s door, carrying a sleepy Echo in her arms. Her father was reading in his bed and looked concerned when she walked in.

“What is this about Harriet?”

“I… I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you tonight?”

It had been years since she had last asked something like this. And Lupin had never accepted when Sirius wasn’t home, because he feared something, anything could go wrong, with him being a werewolf. He gestured for her to come over and soon enough, they were nestled between the sheets, Remus gently trying to put order in her unruly short hair. She’d laid her head on his stomach, like she did when she was a small girl.

“You’ve been really quiet today. Barely told me of Malfoy’s latest bragging or Tracey’s health. Did anything happened that I should know of?”

“No, nothing new.” She lied.

No use making him worry more than he already did. He stroked her hair and sighed.

“I think my work with the goblins is over for now. Unless another dark wizard pop up. I ordered a few books and even managed a few translations.”

“That’s great! I mean the translation. And the fact you won’t take that weird potion anymore.”

“You were worried, weren’t you? Forget about it, turtle bug.”

She smiled and closed her eyes, Lupin turning off the light. They drifted of to sleep, holding onto each other. No nightmare reached Harriet that night.

To be continued…


	16. Misandry teacher

 

Lupin woked to Echo’s snarlings and understood why the small wolf was so upset. There was an intruder in his house. His left arm was half asleep from holding Harriet in her sleep and the girl was so tired she didn’t even stir in her sleep from the ruckus or when he laid her on the other side of the bed, reaching for his wand. The presence was possible in two very specific scenarios. Either someone who was permitted inside the house had entered in the middle of the night, which was suspicious but entirely possible. Or someone had broken through every protection he and Dumbledore had put on the house. Which would normally wake the neighbours and provoke havoc throughout the city.

Remus was half out of bed when the door opened and a disheveled man barged into the room. The voice was easily recognizable, but since there had been no warning, Lupin didn’t believe it at first.

“Why is there always another dog in my house?”

“Sirius? Echo, hush.”

The wolf lowered her ears and hid beneath the bed.

“Wow, that’s some authority, wolf-man.”

“ _You_ don’t call me that. Where the hell have you been?”

Sirius clearly needed a shower. He was dressed in a previously white shirt, overcoat, a pair of jeans with too many holes and not much else, seeing his bare feet. He must have been turning into his dog form to stay hidden.

“Is your hair browner than before?”

“Keep it down for heaven’s sake.”

“Come on, Rem. You missed me, didn’t you?”

“Your…”

Sirius didn’t ask the usual security question. He was still half dog in his mind and too happy to see his man. His arms wound up around Lupin and they fell back on the bed, barely avoiding Harriet’s curled up form. The fact she was still asleep wasn’t short of a miracle now. One single, sloppy, half-asleep, bad breath but full-tongued kiss was far from enough for all the months spent apart, but Remus finished his sentence before his own senses could take over.

“You’ll wake up our girl.” He warned his lover.

“My baby girl?” Sirius asked, immediately looking around, still straddling Remus. “Why isn’t she at school?”

“Because it’s the weekend. Now let’s take this somewhere else. And get you clean.”

“I was worried not greeting you would mean you’d curse me while I showered. Since when do you let Harriet sleep with you?”

“I’ve been lonely.” Remus admitted.

If Sirius still had a dog tail, it would have been wagging. Instead, both men made sure to cast a few spells to prevent the possibility of Harriet walking in on them. Sirius had literally run into Dumbledore and received their secret address from the old man. Padfoot had managed to catch six Men Eaters and asked for some well-earned vacations. He tried going left and right, to make sure he wasn’t followed and was in Hogsmeade for a mere visit. Staying would get attention, unfortunately.  It was early in the morning when they came back to the bedroom and laid on each side of Harriet, like they did when she was a toddler.

“A nightmare?” Sirius inquired in a low voice.

“That girl’s been taking Gilderoy Lockhart head on with her friends, broke her spine and managed to befriend a Malfoy. She’s been busy.”

“So did you, as I’ve heard. Taking jobs from goblins? You both are too brave for your own good.”

Harriet moved in her sleep, shuffling closer to Lupin, which caused Sirius’ chest to deflate slightly and give a glare to his partner.

“Look at her, playing favorite. A Malfoy you said?”

“She’s in slytherin. Don’t hold it against her.”

“Oh. Well, as long as she has friends. I almost forgot how cute she looked when she slept.”

He stroked her cheek, almost hesitantly. His eyes looked watery an instant and he buried his face in the pillow, Remus giving him a tender pat on the shoulder. When he looked up, his heart full of words, Sirius doubted his voice but tried anyway to convey how he felt.

“I’m glad she’s here. I…”

His voice broke down.

“I know, dog-man. I know.”

Sleep claimed them and the next awake was Harriet, who was somewhat surprised to be surrounded by two fully-grown bodies. There was a new scent in the air, half clean half mud and she slowly recognized her other father. Sirius Black. She pinched herself first, barely blinking, as if he could vanish. She tried to shift closer to him, but Remus’ hold turned stronger. She rolled on her back, poking the werewolf in the ribs. He blinked one sleepy eye at her and gave her a lazy smile. He had noticed Sirius’ return. Of course he had. Harriet didn’t want to wonder what they could have been up to.

“Let him sleep a little while longer, turtle dove.”

“He could sleep tonight, when I’m back at school.” She retorted.

“I can hear both of you, keeping to yourselves. I might be leaving before Monday. If I can enjoy being with my family, I sure hope I will.”

The entire day was spent together, talking, laughing, although there was an almost serious fight when Sirius understood that Harriet was really in Slytherin and even a member of the Wrestomb team.

“You are fighting for them? Studying with them is one thing, but fighting for them?!”

Harriet laughed at his consternation and it could have remained okay if Sirius hadn’t insisted.

“So you’re friend with the Weasley family, Neville, Tracey Davies, whose father is shady at best. I guess it’s all fine about them, but that Malfoy boy…”

“He’s been really helpful lately. It didn’t start well between us, but Draco is…”  
Sirius’ eyes widened.

“Draco? That sounds awfully familiar.”

“Padfoot, don’t be hard on her. She has friends in and outside of her house. It’s a good thing.”

“We’re talking about _my_ cousin’s son. Cissy has never been happy with that conceited, pure blooded maniac. She married him only to remain in our grandmother’s good grace. I can’t believe the son would be any better than the father.”

“I’m not saying Malfoy is always nice. But we’re often paired up for dueling and he’s a good wizard.”

Sirius seemed ready to insist but Lupin cut the argument short.

“Now, I need more butterbeer for the supper. Harriet, go buy some for me, will you?”

She nodded and ran along, Echo following in her tracks, leaving both her fathers in a glaring contest.

“You had to go all crazy on her. She might not see you more than one day in the entire year, and you…”

“There’s too many boys among her friends. Only one girl?!”

“She has three fathers and only Lily for a mother figure. Of course she’d get along better with boys. She’s still a tomboy herself. And I have Lily reporting about her school progress once a week.”

“I’m not worried about that, Rem. She might be fine now, surrounded by boys and all, but in a few years…”

“We’ll face it when we’re there. At the rate she’s going, she might not make it through her second year. She planned an ambush on Gilderoy Lockhart!” He reminded the animagus.

“Auror material,” Sirius retorted proudly, before to sigh and darken. “I know she’s careless. And that stunt she pulled could have blown in her face. But we both knew she’d be like that. Her father was killed, for heaven sake. We promised not to lie and not to hide anything from her. She’s too curious anyway.”

“I didn’t want her risking her life before she is at least seventeen. Is that too much to ask?”

Sirius crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

“Evans is looking after her, so is Snape. I don’t trust the guy, but since Lily does… She was James’ favorite girl, you know as well as me.”

Remus wasn’t sure about that last part. James had confided in him once, jealous of his relationship with Sirius. James had always wanted attention, craving it to comfort his well-hidden insecurities. Although Lupin had suspicions, he had kept most of James’ confidences to himself and would often find himself contradicting Sirius’ view of their common friend. Where James had been daring and impressive for the Auror, he had been clumsily hiding something behind fireworks for Remus. He didn’t know enough to draw a full picture and understood why Harriet was so set on discovering her mother’s true identity.

“Listen, Sirius. We won’t agree before hours of going over it and we don’t have hours, you made it clear. So for tonight, let’s just share a good supper like a normal family. For Harriet’s sake.”

The supper went without further trouble, Sirius admitting to capturing Men Eaters and recounting a few of his adventures. He refused to say where he had been staying, knowing that the less they knew, the better it would be. He might also have a few things he’d rather keep to himself, as Remus would learn a few moments later.

Harriet was escorted back to the castle by her lycanthrope father, fussing a lot more than usual about returning to school. Padfooth had bid both of them goodbyes and disappeared into the wood, his fur as black as his last name. It was on their way that the pair heard something from a few women gathered in front of the Three Broomsticks Inn.

“Didn’t you hear, dear? Sirius Black is reforming himself and tying the knot. He’s engaged to miss Vector, the arithmancy teacher.”

Lupin missed a step and Harriet literally turned around, her eyes rounder than saucers. Her father pulled on her sleeve, but she resisted and raised her voice:

“Excuse me, ladies, did you mentioned Sirius Black?”

The witches turned to them, all smiles, unknowing of the damage that was already done. Remus was pale as a ghost and forced himself to stay upright and still. No anger needed here, there might be a perfectly understandable explanation. If he hurried, he might be able to catch Black before that he got too far and coerce answers out of him.

“Yes, my dear miss Potter. Black was good friend with James, wasn’t he? I remember them always together those boys.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Remus muttered. Echo felt the unease of her master’s father and looked around, feeling confused. She considered Lupin as her alpha and didn’t like to sense him in such a state.

“Septima Vector works at Hogwarts, teaching third years and so on. She’s engaged to Black. There had been nasty rumors about the man, with him remaining single for so long, but the cat is finally out of the bag. Septima must have been playing hard to get.”

“How did you learn that?” Harriet insisted, making Lupin curse mentally.

“From Septima herself, actually. She’s been dating left and right, but now, I think she found the right guy for her. An Auror, no less. Makes you feel secure in those dark times.”

“Certainly. Thank you, ladies.” Remus said, bowing his head almost imperceptibly. He dragged Harriet in his tracks, his face turning dark as soon as he knew no one was in sight.

“I’m sure there’s a mistake somewhere, da…”

“Don’t patronize me, turtle bug. I’m this close to apparating out of here.”

“I can get myself back to the castle if you want to go after him. Echo is with me.”

The wolf gave a cheerful bark and Remus simply walked faster.

“He’s one hell of a cheeky bastard. Next time he shows up, we’ll keep our interesting news for ourselves, won’t we?” Lupin asked her when they neared the castle grounds.

Harriet could tell her father was shaken. He had lived secluded from other children and had lost both of his other best friends, only having Sirius now. And that… dog of a human threatened to hurt the poor Lupin. She was pretty sure there was a hidden reason, but she’d rather hear it from Sirius himself, not some strangers on the street.

“I could stay home with you.”

“No, young girl. You’re supposed to be working on your magical education. Although I understand you’re making this your twelve trials of Hercules or something.”

“I’m not… I’ll be good, I swear, dad, but you have to let me in on this. As soon as you know what this is all about…”

“Of course. Send Echo in two days. We’ll sort this out.”

He would have panicked if it wasn’t for Harriet. But even if Sirius had somehow betrayed his trust, which appeared impossible since all the time they’d spent together and his sincerity the very last night, Remus wouldn’t end up alone. They exchanged a brief hug and Harriet was escorted the rest of the way by Hagrid, who was accompanied by the fully healed up Bella.

Remus didn’t lose time, not sending a single wave to his daughter. He apparated as soon as possible, right in front of his house. Inside, he grabbed the potion that he had promised not to take anymore. Three sips were enough and after apparating another time, he shifted into the wolf, letting the beast’s senses take over. Controlling the transformation didn’t make it less painful and he felt bad. What would his father think about this if he could saw him, tapping into the wolf so often he risked losing himself. Those were the after effects, but Harriet certainly didn’t need to know.

…

Tracey embraced Harriet so tightly, the girl thought she would break her ribs.

“I couldn’t even visit you at the infirmary!”

“I’m all better, now, Trace, you don’t need to worry. I might wake you with nightmares during the next weeks, though.”

“I won’t complain, hearing you screaming, I could tell it was awful.”

“But I need to focus on something else right now. I need to know how you’d learn about the fox mark.”

Both girls noticed Pansy Parkinson was working on her defense against the dark art parchment and rushed to their dorm, knowing they would have the room to themselves, without prying ears to listen.

“My father told me, but it’s… a strange story. He’d been going out with some woman. A Septima Vector I think.”

Harriet recognized the name but didn’t say anything, understanding that Tracey wanted to quickly finish her story so she would be sure no one else would hear about it.

“I didn’t like her, but dad had been so lonely for so many years with mom dead… Anyway, to make the story short… I walked on them while they were… doing grown-up things and noticed a mark on her shoulder blade. The fox. Dad didn’t believe me at first. He might have been focused on other things, but anyway… When he realized I was right, he confronted her about it. She tried to jinx him. Dad got away by paying her a fortune and promising he’d keep quiet about it.”

“And you have the gall to tell me?”

“I made no promise, did I? And I hate that woman. My father almost lost one eye because of her.”

Harriet was wondering if she’d been wrong about the name the women had told her in the streets. But it sounded pretty much the same.

…

Sirius barely had the time to see him coming. He was still in dog form, still running like a carefree hound when a sense of danger prayed upon him. A look over his shoulder showed him nothing. Then it was right over him. The shadow of a predator far bigger and stronger than him. With a yelp, the dark dog was thrown down. The wolf pounced on him, showing his teeth, his blue eyes holding the same speck of green as ever. Sirius yelped and whined and snarled, not understanding what was going on. It wasn’t the full moon. And Remus would never turn into a wolf around him unless he could help it. Something was wrong. Very wrong. The wolf features seemed to melt into themselves, and Sirius slowly transformed back into his human form himself, raising his empty hands above him in surrender.

“What the heck was that?”

“I don’t think my secrets are as interesting as yours, Sirius.” Remus retorted.

He spelled clothes out of thin air and didn’t move while the magic worked, covering his naked skin.

“What secrets? The full moon was three days ago. How can you…”

“I didn’t find a pack or some she-wolf to replace you, trust me.”

Comprehension dawned on Sirius. He might have forgotten to mention _that_.

“I’m sure we can talk this out like civilized people, Rem. I’m freezing my b…”

“Don’t try to be nice and explain yourself right this instant.”

Sirius wanted nothing more than that, but he still felt confused.

“How did you find me so easily? I’ve been apparating left and right to…”

“Let’s say I’ve been practicing my tracking skills.”

A whipping sound made them both jump before that a dark-haired woman appeared out of thin hair.

“My my... Are you serious?” she declared.

“That’s my name,” Sirius said with a cheeky smile, which earned him a knee to the ribs from his werewolf companion.

“That one is getting old, mate.”

Remus got to his feet and Sirius was crouched when the witch raised her wand.

“So it seems those rumors were true about you two. My mother will be so disappointed in the groom, Blackie.”

Remus understood that this was Septima Vector. And from the look on Sirius’ face, he’d rather face her in other circumstances.

“Vector, I know what you think. But this here, is an…”

“I’m not stupid Sirius. If you think I fell for you an instant, you’re blind. This was all part of my plan.”

Remus thought fast. The woman had barged in and heard the last sentence of their discussion, but she certainly didn’t know much more. Could he take the risk of shifting back to fight against her? In his wolf form, he was insensible to magic. But that meant making sure she couldn’t tell anyone his secret. He could kill her, that wasn’t a question. But could he live with himself as a killer? The first curse flew in the air, blue lightings running straight for Sirius’ throat. It was over with thinking.

To be continued…


	17. Danger looming

 

Harriet sent Echo on the first night, with a note about Septima Vector being a Men Eater. She didn’t share her worries with Tracy. Explaining that she had two godfathers that were a couple might not sit that well with her friend. The following week saw a lot of surprises from every student. For one, professor Vector couldn’t be found anywhere. She had vanished on Sunday night and even McGonagall’s best tracking spell wasn’t enough to find her. The other surprise was Hermione Granger. The girl was still answering in class as if her life depended on it. But she was less aggressive than ever with her classmate. The last change was professor Evans and the fact she asked a lot less questions in her class and focused on practical work. Lily looked almost subdued to most students that knew her well, but Neville suggested to the few that came up with questions that it was all due to her pregnancy.

Echo didn’t come back before that the Wednesday’s edition of the Daily Prophet that made Tracy drop the orange juice’s carafe at the headline.

**_Teacher of Arithmancy killed by a wild beast._ **

“What the hell? Was that our teacher?” Marcus asked.

“Let me read that.” Harriet asked.

“I’ll read it aloud,” Pansy Parkinson protested, too curious to wait.

_Last night, Sirius Black made the macabre discovery of his fiancée’s corpse a few miles away from Hogsmeade. The Arithmancy teacher, more known for her prediction of you-know-who’s attack on the Queen’s men in 1988, Septima Vector, had been missing since Sunday night from Hogwarts. The last person who saw her alive, Poppy Pomfrey, reported that the witch was aiming for a quiet night out at the Three Broomstick Inn. Black was investigating for the ministry in the region and was ruthlessly attacked by an unknown beast on Monday’s night. He was left disoriented, but alive and stumbled upon Vector’s body. He reported that she had most certainly been attacked by a magical creature of class XXXX or XXXXX._

_Black had recently gotten engaged to Vector and couldn’t explain why she’d gotten so far from Hogsmeade. The victim’s wand has not yet been found and Sirius Black has opened a search to track down the dangerous animal responsible for this death. A black hound, big enough to resemble the Sinistros, was seen late on Sunday night according to witnesses. If that ominous sign attracted Vector away from the safety of civilization or if it’s the one responsible for her death is still under question._

 “She was all about maths and calculations, but she didn’t seem half bad for magic. What kind of beast could take down a teacher like that?” Terrence mused.

“I sure hope they find it soon.” Another student muttered.

“I bet it tried to eat her.”

Harriet covered her ears, wondering if Finn, the giant squid, had anything to do with it. He’d warn her about a teacher with the men eater mark. But could he influence anything to go out and kill someone for him? Finn had asked her to be on the lookout, so he certainly hadn’t that kind of control. Turning her thinking around, Harriet realized she had forgotten the one possibility that made more sense. What if it was Remus who had found Septima while she was still alive? And shifted into a wolf to teach her for getting engaged with his man? That didn’t sound like her gentle father at all. But it did sound like what a maddened werewolf could do. And she still lacked any news from home.

…

“It was all meant to expose her.” Sirius explained. “And to protect us by pretending I’m heterosexual.”

Lupin winced between his teeth, his left leg barely holding his weight as he walked up to the kitchen’s counter. They had exchanged curses and defensive spells with the woman for half an hour. Then, for an instant, the moon, still wide and almost perfectly round had shone over him, piercing through the clouds. The potion in his blood had stirred in awakening and he’d turned almost instantly. That had taken Vector by surprise, to say the least. But Remus didn’t remember as much as he wanted and hated himself for using the potion in the first place. His control had grown better with the weeks, but there had always been a risk. A calculated, minimal risk, but still... He hadn’t wanted to shift, but like a fever taking over his brain, the beast has been brought out front and the man shoved behind. When he came to himself, Sirius was pushing him under the shower’s spray and blood was slipping down his wobbly legs. He was covered in bruise and cuts and had a sprained ankle. Unless something in his leg hadn’t correctly rearranged itself from the last, unprepared transformation.

“I didn’t kill her, did I?”

Sirius had insisted he’d done the deed. It felt wrong, but Lupin couldn’t remember what he’d done. Usually, he was able to follow himself, even as a monster. Now, he was worried his partner was covering up the truth to make him feel better with himself. And he was almost afraid to insist. Had the potion entirely gotten out of his system yet? Could he seriously take the risk of getting mad with him again?

“Why would you kill her in dog form when you could use a spell? Usually, you take Men eater to Azkaban.”

But Sirius refused to answer and Remus could only deduce that the Auror had decided it was either too dangerous to let Septima alive considering she knew he was a werewolf, or that she was too close to their other, common secret. They almost argued, but it wasn’t easy for the werewolf to stay up. He was sore and filled with painful aches. Sleep took over and now in the morning, he dragged his left foot, hungry, angry and mostly tired.

He focused on the eggs frying in the pan, pretending to ignore his boyfriend’s monologue about all the reasons why tracking Septima had to remain secret. The former resentment was turning to self-pity and derision. Had he seriously thought for an instant that his lifelong best friend and lover would turn on him? Did he still doubt himself that much? And since he couldn’t tell what had happened last night after his transformation, Remus admitted he did. No matter what he did, he was a monster, deep down.

“Remus, I hope you’re not still mad at me.”

“Am not. Now hurry up and dress the table, make yourself useful.”

Sirius was nervous. He rambled whenever he got too nervous. And although he should be leaving soon, he couldn’t seem to muster the will to leave. So Remus accepted to put up with him despite the fact he was angry and hurt and felt very much like evading him. They were both adults. They could get through this without acting childish. At least, so he thought, until the newspaper came on Wednesday morning.

“Did you really kill her as a dog? When were you interviewed?”

“While you were sleeping last morning,” Sirius answered sheepishly. “I couldn’t let it go like this.”

“And am I supposed to go out and play the enraged beast for you to capture and calm down the population?”

Sirius looked up to the ceiling.

“Of course not. It’s all under control. There’s always a nasty creature roaming the forbidden forest. And I’d been meaning to check up on Hogwarts a bit.”

Lupin doubted Sirius’s sincerity. He felt a lot guiltier about this. It seriously appeared as though he’d killed the Men Eater himself, when he wasn’t himself.

 “Don’t get yourself into more trouble, dog-man.”

“Trouble? Me?”

Sirius’ smirk was insufferable.

“If only it was only you and not Harriet too.” Remus sighed.

…

The concerned girl received news that both her fathers were alright and focused on her schoolwork as much as she could. The match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff was a huge shock, with Hufflepuff winning by a landslide. There was a long debate between the teachers, wondering if a match between the losing teams should be done or not. The Wrestomb season had already been a lot more taxing for the organizers and professor Hoots declared that the losers could share third place. It wouldn’t cheer up any team to compete for a third place that had little meaning. The main reason was to finish up the Wrestomb competition before the start of final exams studies. By the end of March, the match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff came. Neville was up against Dudley in wrestling, while Ron was confronting Cedric in running. And once again, the victory went to Hufflepuff, for the first time in decades of Hogwarts’ history.

Harriet had to console her friends afterwards, but Neville wasn’t that sad.

“We managed to make it to the finals despite being mostly first years.”

“If the full moon hadn’t been so close, I wouldn’t have lost,” Ron complained again, taking it a lot harder than Longbottom.

“So you really lost control when you ran off the track?” Tracey observed.

“There was a deer behind the treeline! What was I supposed to do? I had been so nervous, I couldn’t eat in the morning, and that…”

The girls’ disgusted eyes reminded him that he was taking to full human witches, not werewolves like him. He blushed a little.

“I’ll work harder and it won’t happen again,” he promised.

Their group was happily chatting, walking along Hogwarts’ park when a shrill cry burst from the forest. Frightened birds took flight and Harriet’s first impulse was to run toward the forbidden forest. Neville caught her by the shoulder and dragged her backward, reminding her that they had gotten into enough trouble already for this year.

“But…!”

“Even if someone is in danger, we’re first years. Hagrid is there to check on things.” He told her.

The gamekeeper was running into the forest at the same time, closely followed by Bella. The very sight of his sister was almost enough to send Ron running after them, but Tracey put herself in his path.

“We can’t interfere all the time. We don’t even know what’s going on right now.” She warned him.

“So if we did, we could go?” Harriet asked.

Neville exchanged a brief look with Tracey and nodded quickly.

“But we don’t. So we get back to the castle and worry about the next exam of transfiguration.”

A pained yelp made Harriet cringe but she accepted to follow her friends. The snow still lingered and the sun was rapidly falling in the sky. She couldn’t wait for the days to get longer.

It wasn’t before the middle of April that she learned from Lupin that Sirius had tried to chew on something a little too big for him, almost falling right into a nest of Acromentulas. As if Acromentulas could be held accountable for what happened to Septima. Harriet had remained quiet about the question of which one of her fathers had killed the arithmancy teacher. She was starting to suspect that both of them were guilty, not that she’d hold it against them. Sirius had declared the dangerous beast slain to the authorities, his fresh battle scars a testament to him vanquishing whatever beast responsible for the killing. Hogsmeade grew calmer while the school year seemed to get closer and closer to its end.

On one day, Harriet was surprised when Hermione Granger grabbed her by the sleeve and pulled her backward. Granger had grown quiet and no one ever dared to cross her and the young girl hadn’t noticed the brilliant student walking next to her.

“What the…?”

“Careful, Potter, there was a trap,” Hermione told her simply before to let go of her sleeve and walk past the trap, safely evading it.

After a quick check, Harriet had to admit that Granger was right, although she couldn’t begin to understand why the girl would go out of her way to help her. This drastic change couldn’t have something to do with a magic seal, couldn’t it? Her next class was herbology, where Neville always seemed better than anyone. Although Tracey seemed to have an affinity with magic herbs. Professor Sprout warned them about a practical exam for the end of the year and it wasn’t long before the headmistress made an announcement that was sure to turn every student into nervous messes.

“Since this year has seen an incredibly gifted first-years array of future witches and wizards, the first and second year students will have the same kind of practical exams as their seniors.”

Tracey frowned, trying to muffle a particularly harsh coughing fit behind a handkerchief while Harriet noticed the snarky smile on Malfoy’s pale face. Goyle and Crabe looked livid in comparison.

“A special trial will be held to verify that you’ve learned every of your classes sufficiently to pass over to the next year.” McGonagall went on. “As your older classmates might have told you, this trial exam includes every matters you’ve met during the school year and mix every magic you have learned. Your respective head of house will assist closely in each years’ trial. I hope to see good results from every of you.”

The announcement was over and Harriet exchanged a look with Tracey while the Great Hall turned into an uproar of panicked conversation.

“Does that mean that… every subject are put together. Like potion and transfiguration and spell and even herbology all in one?” the short haired girl asked.

“I’d heard rumors of this kind of final exams,” Malfoy told her. “But you’d think they’d let us have some kind of practice before to throw it in our faces.”

In the end, the practice came in a mashed-up two weeks of the most stressful classes Harriet had attended in her entire year. June seemed like the shortest month of the year and she didn’t manage a single visit to the lake. Although she wandered if Finn hadn’t something new to tell her. Some teachers had less trouble mixing different subject together than other. Quirrell clearly disliked potion making and the trials arrived before that any student, except maybe Hermione Granger, could feel ready for them.

Harriet sat behind her assigned desk, throwing a glance at Snape, who observed the class with an expression close to disdain. The man had turned darker and gloomier with every passing week. A wave of his wands summoned the examination part of the trial, which consisted of a hundred questions on a magic parchment where you couldn’t smear ink despite rolling it up as you wrote. The quills scribbled and scratched the papers for the three imparted hours. Everyone looked desperate as they walked out of the room, knowing that the practical part of the trial would come in the afternoon. Harriet consulted with Tracey, shocked to realized that most of their questions had been different.

In the afternoon, the trials ended up of making a particular gooey potion, turning it into a living creature (which couldn’t have amphibian’s particularities in Harriet’s case) for a few minutes, before levitating the goo through a maze and correctly identifying a magical plant hidden in the maze. The last step was to face an unknown creature, which ended up being a boggart. The potion part went well enough, but the transfiguration proved taxing. The levitating spell went perfectly. And the plant mystified Harriet. She was pretty sure her herbology’s marks wouldn’t be high, if she didn’t fluke it.

Walking out of the room, she couldn’t wait to meet up with Ron, Neville and Tracey to check how everything went. But then, she noticed something amiss in the hall. There was not a single trap, despite every detection spell she casted. And a ghost she had never seen before was floating in the middle of the wall, half of his ethereal body out.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

Her voice came out small and frail. The air around her felt cold. The ghost looked surprised and backed away with a swoosh. The only thing Harriet clearly noticed was a bunch on the side of the head and a rounded cheek. Crying and laughing resonated through the hall for a few seconds, freezing the young girl in place. There was something creepy about this. The ghosts never go out of their way to scare students. The ghosts barely ever interacted with the living. As the laughter died down, Malfoy walked out of the classroom and snickered at her.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been jinxed Potter. That Boggart couldn’t have been that scary.”

She frowned and blushed, realizing she might be seeing trouble where there was nothing. School was almost over. They had the feast tonight and soon, they would go back to their respective homes.

“What form did yours take?” she asked him, trying to dismiss the scary occurrence.

“I tell if you tell.” He objected as they walked down the stairs.

“Giant spiders.”

“Multiple huh? Anything to do with whatever Granger’s put you through?”

“What, at least I’m not afraid of snakes. And you must be fair about this and tell me.”

“It’s… Don’t laugh, okay? It was a zombie.”

“A ZOMBIE? Like in the Muggle’s movies?”

“Not so loud, Harriet!”

But she winked at him, and Malfoy uttered a laugh. Their fears sounded normal for kids their age. No one would ever think they’d face a black mage all on their own.

“Got plans for the summer?” she asked casually.

The boy stiffened.

“Okay, I’ll tell you mines first.” She teased him. “Ron has invited us to his family house for August. I’ll visit Tracey and Dudley in turns too.”

“Will you spend any time at home?”

“My dad lives at Hogsmeade. I can swing by on every weekends. And summer is the busy season for his work.”

“Really? What does he do? I don’t remember you ever mentioning…”

Harriet realized she might have gotten too casual. Before that she could backtrack, Ron’s loud roar of joy reached them from the great room.

“It’s finally OVER!” the red haired boy exclaimed.

Small explosions were the definitive sign of mischief. The twins must have unleashed some kind of firecrackers in the room. McGonagall was already asking for calm and quiet. Malfoy raised one eyebrow.

“Those Weasley are unbelievable sometimes.”

“You like ‘em, you just won’t admit it.”

“Oh, I do not! They’re…!”

He stopped before to say something that could clearly upset the girl, mostly because professor Evans passed by at that very moment. Harriet nudged him with her elbow.

“You must have plans for summer, Malfoy.”

“I don’t know yet.”

“I hope you’ll write to me then. If we can’t train together for the entire summer, we might not be able to remain on the team.”

The boy’s answer was lost on her. The great hall’s doors had burst open and the chaos unleashed by Georgia and Frederica engulfed both of them like a warm blanket.

The first year was over. But Harriet’s studies and adventures were only beginning.

To be continued…


	18. Silence is golden

 

On the very last night at Hogwarts, Harriet wrapped herself in her invisible cloak to tiptoe out of her common room and down to the lake. She knew it was her last chance of the year to speak with Finn, the giant squid. She merely had to evade Peeves on her way out and found a silent, deserted bank near the lake. Making sure no one was around, she removed her cloak and approached the water. Shifting into her turtle form was out of question. Instead, she took out her wand and made a few ripples on the surface. After working a bit on a wavering spell, she managed ripple in the shape of Finn’s name. The result was almost instantaneous.

_Harriet Potter? Are you bene?_

Beneath his fear for her well-being, she realized that he sounded delighted. He hadn’t expected to hear from her and she had no idea how well he got along with the other lake occupants.

“Hello Finn. I was wondering if you would answer. I’m leaving Hogwarts for the summer tomorrow, so I thought…”

_It’s nice of you to show hic, but…you shouldn’t be hic. Noxa will find you._

“But I though… Septima Vector was a men eater and she’s death.”

A red tentacle hit the surface, throwing droplets of cold water everywhere around Harriet, startling her.

**_She’_ ** _s hic. Always hic. Restless. Something awful will happen…_

“When? How do you know that? How can I tell if you’re not just some paranoid giant squid?”

The voice in her head let out a discontent groan, before to sigh deeply.

_I might sound too alarmed, but I know noxa. She’ll… Vector dying might have cooled her down, but it’s only a matter of tempus._

“Finn, please, I don’t think I can do anything if you remain this mysterious. How do you know her? Can you give me a hint? Anything?”

_It’s hard to…_

The water surface was covered in ripples now and the boy’s voice let out a cry of pain that reached something within Harriet’s heart. It seemed as though the lake was boiling and she could see the squid coiling over himself beneath the moonlight, as if invisible claws were grasping at him.

_Impossibile. Her trap is nimis strong…_

“A trap? So she trapped you here, didn’t she? If it’s an enchantment, I must be able to reverse it somehow.”

_Harriet, don’t… auxilia me. Help yourself first… Be careful around Hogwarts. Around her…_

“You said someone would die, but you never meant Vector, didn’t you? What do you know?”

_Not enough. Mea cul…_

“Finn, take your time, okay? You need to make as much sense as possible. I was hoping things looked better. But how can things be worse? Lockhart was captured, the men eaters have lost one of their witches…”

_She needs to interfectus… she’ll do it again. I can almost hear her cogitatio. The man named Black… Sirius Black. He will be posterum._

Harriet held her breath at that. What did that mean? Why was he forced to speak in Latin for all the most important words?!

“How do you know?” she asked, her voice a whisper above the rippling water.

_We’re connected somehow, I… What noxa thinks, I see sometimes. It’s painful, Harriet. I can’t look nimis more._

“Does it work in reverse? Can she tell what **you** think?”

Because, whoever that madwoman was, it would mean danger for Harriet.

_Numquam!_

He sounded so sure, she had to believe him. But she needed to know more.

“Do you know of her plan? Any part of it?”

_I…_

The voice quivered from pain and she noticed a magic in the air, malevolent, surrounding the lake. It lashed out at Finn, more than it did before. Somehow, the magic curse he was under could detect if he talked too much or something like that.

_Leave, Harriet. Noxa’s growing suspicious of…_

The girl wanted to interfere, but with a wave of one tentacle, the squid pushed her four meters away from the lake. His mental voice ringed in her head with a few final words.

_Black’s demise… a hunt… prophetiae…_

Harriet had the good idea of putting her invisibility cloak back on. As she slowly backtracked toward the castle, a bolt of lighting ran through the air and crashed right through the lake. A smell like grilled fish filled her nostrils and the panic seized her heart, while a storm started brewing in the sky. Harriet was torn between the urge to run away in front of such potent magic and the fact her mysterious friend needed protection. Every time she talked to him, Finn sounded genuinely happy to share a conversation with her. But it was the first time he’d shove her away in such a rush. And the danger that cursed him, the woman who wanted to kill her father Sirius… She had been lenient and was giving him a piece of her mind right now, although it seemed she couldn’t tell who he had been talking to.

Maybe if she stayed, Harriet could learn something about this mysterious woman. Deep in her heart, she was persuaded that it was you-know-who. But how could that woman get close enough to Hogwarts to trap a sentient giant squid in the lake? What were the grown-ups witches and wizards doing?

A green spell echoed through the night, between thunderclaps and lightning bolts, filling Harriet’s with a fear she couldn’t define. Somehow, that color in a spell always scared her. But tonight, it felt worse as if it connected with a memory she had buried deep inside. She tried to remember. Or to push it to the back of her mind. Without thinking, she ran back to the castle. She reached her common room in record time and couldn’t sleep a single minute. In the morning, she almost fell asleep during breakfast. The goodbyes felt like farewells as she wondered what could have happened to Finn last night.

She sat in Lily’s office with Neville way past the time the other students had piled in the train. She wasn’t going far, only to Hogsmeade. She couldn’t wait to talk face to face with Remus. She had to warn him about the fact Sirius was in danger. But could she tell him how she’d got the information? Wouldn’t it be better to just write to Sirius? Echo was happily running around the office while Lily checked a few more of her paperwork.

“Can I borrow some paper, auntie?”

“Oh… of course, I must have a fresh stack of parchments somewhere. Make yourself at home, both of you, as long as you don’t drink anything.”

Neville knew not to try any potion his mother had made without checking what it was first. He helped Harriet in securing a parchment, looking at her questioningly.

“What’s got you so anxious?” he asked her, keeping his voice down so to not disturb Lily.

They sat right down of the floor as Harriet pulled a quill and some ink out of her school bag.

“It’s nothing, really…”

She shot him a look that meant she couldn’t talk, not right now. It would have to wait until they were alone. And she wasn’t sure how well he would take to learn she’d been having conversations with the giant squid for the whole year. But then again, it couldn’t be considered that long. She had met with Finn like about… four times in total? Neville seemed ready to read from over her shoulder, when he noticed that both of their pets were getting into some kind of fight, with Echo barking madly at his ferret-owl. While he took care of the little crisis, Harriet quickly scribbled away:

_Dear Padfooth,_

_I remember you mentioned the prophecies at the mystery branch of the ministry of Magic. I heard from a very good source that someone might try something really nefarious against you, this something being related to prophecies. In fact, I’m afraid that a man eater could still be after you. Don’t laugh it off and play the invincible man, please consider that I’ve been warned that you were in real danger and that I’m really, seriously worried about you. I don’t want to tell Moony. I know this year hasn’t been easy on him. I miss you, Pad. Let me know you’ll avoid the mystery branch._

_Sincerely, Turtle dove_

She would have liked to reread it, knowing she certainly sounded too alarmed, but Neville was coming back, so she rolled up the parchment and whistle for Echo to come and see her.

“You could have done that when she tried to bite Ixter, couldn’t you?”

“Sorry Nev. I’m a bit restless right now. Echo, dear girl, I need you to take this for me.”

She whispered in the red wolf’s ears Padfoot’s name. Neville raised one brow, having heard the codename and wondering what she could be up to, but he would coerce her into talking as soon as Lily would be out of earshot.

With a bark and a lick to her face, Echo rushed out of the office and into the wild. Somehow, the dwarven wolf always managed to get away from Filch’s cat. Neville convinced Harriet in going over the latest news of Wrestomb in the magical world. England’s team had gotten a whole lot higher in the rankings, with France’s champions close on their heels. It was half an hour later that Lily finally got up from her desk.

“I just have to run a few papers through McGonagall about my maternity leave. She kept on postponing this and I’d rather not have to come back during summers. Will you two be alright staying here? Severus should swing by at any time now.”

“We’ll be fine, mom.” Neville assured her.

He waited until the door closed behind her to sigh.

“I can’t believe I’m going to spend the entire summer with Snape!”

“You can always visit us, Nev. And I’m pretty sure he won’t be too hard on you. He’ll follow aunt Lily like a bodyguard and won’t even mind you…”

“Think again, Harriet. I’m pretty sure he’s going to make me his little project. You should have seen how he’d looked when they agreed on moving together.  Mom insisted that I was there too, since I’ll be living with them. If looks alone could kill, I would already be dead.”

“Come on now…”

“I know, I know. You seem to have something way more exciting to talk about. What are you sending so secretly to Padfoot?”

The young girl felt her shoulders slouching down.

“I… I might have heard something concerning him and his job. I wanted to make sure he knew about it.”

“You are so lying to me, Harriet Potter!”

He pushed on her shoulder playfully and she would have laughed if the anxiety in her heart wasn’t as high.

“I heard someone plans to kill him, Nev.”

Longbottom’s smile vanished instantly.

“Where do you heard that?”

“It doesn’t matter. My source is reliable. It also warned me about one of our teachers being a men eater and Septima Vector was…”

The door creaked open, making both of the teenagers jump two feet high, only to reveal one really annoyed Severus Snape.

“Did I hear _men eater_?” the dark arts teacher asked. “Are you two still looking into business that you shouldn’t?”

They gave him a sheepish look.

“It was all over the news, I don’t see how we’re not supposed to look into it.” Harriet tried.

“Well, if either of you is willing to die young, I won’t stop you.” He declared briskly. “But bring any stress to Lily while she’s pregnant, I’ll have you regret that you survived any ordeal you could rush into.”

“You gotta be kidd…”

Neville was cut short by the dark glare Severus shot him. Harriet gulped down, finding it difficult to hold those black, bottomless eyes with her own. An instant, she noticed how dark and familiar they felt. An instant, she remembered the green spell running through the sky and a shiver went down her back. Standing a little in front of her, the boy held his ground, sending a glare of his own to their teacher.

“I’ll hold you to that and hope you won’t bring any stress to mom either.”

The glare softened slightly and a smirk blossomed on Snape’s thin lips.

“Maybe we can still make a warlock out of you, Longbottom.”

Both students exchanged a cautious glance. Warlocks weren’t common in society. Although they both could guess that for all his talk and pride, Severus could hold his own in any sort of magic duel. Before that the discussion could get any farther, Lily walked back into her office, looking slightly annoyed.

“Something’s amiss?”

“I couldn’t found McGonagall anywhere. The house elves even said she had left in the middle of the night…”

“We can always finish the administrative part of your leave by owl,” Snape reminded her. “You need fresh air and rest.”

His voice almost sounded warm and Harriet couldn’t help but notice how Lily relaxed as he took her parchments from her and guided her out of her own office. Their potion teacher was now about four months along and it was starting to show. Although they weren’t talking as much as they used to, Harriet knew that being pregnant was overwhelming to the red headed woman. She noticed Neville rolling his eyes.

“If I ever fall in love with someone as dark as Snape, promise to open my eyes before that it’s too late to save my soul.” He asked her under his breath.

“Don’t be mean, Nev. He’s good for aunt Lily. I don’t know how he does it, but he is.”

That much was clear as day. They walked all the way back, from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade, escorting Harriet back to Lupin’s house. Neville asked if he could stay with his friend for a bit longer and Lily agreed with a smile.

“Just get home for supper,” she asked before leaving, hand in hand with Severus.

Both friends went to Harriet’s room after raiding the cookie jar, Harriet giving a brief hug to Remus, who was working on removing rats from the house’ walls without killing the rats. When the door was closed and they were sure to be alone and that no one would listen in on them, Neville asked for a clear explanation.

“Since when did you heard about killing threat?”

“Since I started talking with the giant squid.” Harriet admitted.

“You what?!”

It took a lot of explaining and even a bit of fighting to convince Neville that Remus didn’t have to learn about it.

“He speaks in Latin every few words? Since when did squids talk?”

“Don’t yell, Neville! Dad would kill me if he knew!”

“While Lockhart was on the run, right next to the castle, you were sneaking out and…!”

“I didn’t know he was out there. And anyway, there are a lot of dangerous things all around Hogwarts, Lockhart included or not.”

The boy wondered, his ferret owl curled up around his neck, hooting softly as if to calm down his master.

“Harriet, if a man eater of such a caliber is around Hogwarts, you’d better not move around alone, be it day or night. We were all lucky this year around. We may train and learn a lot and be awesome Wrestomb players, but this kind of dark magic… How do you know that it’s even really the squid and not something else?”

“I’ve never tried a detecting spell on him. It would have been rude… I’m sure his speech has been cursed, the Latin bits are way out of place.”

“Alright, alright, let’s say I accept everything you say here. The giant squid is intelligent, sentient even and he can talk in your head and has sent you a message through a rock, so apparently he also knows how to write and read. And you’ve known for months and are only telling me now?”

Harriet knew that didn’t sit well.

“I didn’t tell even Tracey. It felt wrong to talk about him to anyone.”

“That sounds like a curse all of its own. If you ever go back to talk to him, you must take me with you, Harriet.”

She felt frustrated at that. Having Neville tagging along would make it harder to sneak out of the castle and Finn might not accept to talk to someone else. What if he could only talk to her mind? She shook the idea out of her head, surprised at how selfish it sounded.

“I… I don’t know… It feels right when I meet with him. Unless he panics and warn me about imminent threats, like he did yesterday, but…”

“You talk of that animal as if it was a person Harriet.”

“Well, you’re still listening to your ghost grandma, so you’re one to talk!”

They could have argued for a long time, but not much later, Remus called them down for supper and Neville was reminded that he had to get home.

“I’d rather you don’t keep this kind of secret from me, Harriet. We may not be in the same house, but we’re still best friends, aren’t we?”

She blinked at that, having not thought that she could hurt Neville by hiding this from him. She had been so focused with questions and convincing herself that anyone would think her crazy to talk with a squid…

“I’m sorry Nev. I won’t keep any more secrets from you, I swear. But please, don’t tell Ron or Tracey, okay? I’ll tell them myself when the time is right.”

“Well, since that squid has such important information, I hope the time will be right soon. If he’s connected to a men eater somehow, people got to know. I still think you should warn Remus or maybe Lily.”

But just as he said it, they thought back of Severus’ threat. Lily was fragile right now. They would keep this knowledge to themselves for the time being.

On the next morning, Harriet received a letter carried by an excited Echo. It was short, but to the point.

_Dear sweet turtlebug, who is that source of yours?_

_And how unprecise can one be? If it’s Trelawney, rest assure, she never got a single prophecy right in her life. I’m always facing potential threat from men eaters, and I’m also always careful as I face them. Focus on your summer and try to enjoy your vacations, my little bug. Take good care of Moony for me. He was grumpy when I left home the last time._

_Love, Padfoot_

Harriet wasn’t satisfied at all. But her message had been unprecise. She wondered if she could find anything to convince Sirius that he had to be more than careful. At least, he was agreed to keep Lupin in the dark. She didn’t like that, but secrets seemed like the only way to stay sane in this world. And she knew that her fathers were keeping stuff from her. She hadn’t confronted Lupin about Septima’s dead yet. She didn’t know how to breach the subject. She didn’t know how much the very subject was hitting him up from inside.

Back at Hogwarts, lying at the bottom of the lake, Finn was a mess of bloated tentacles and sore muscles. His senses were open to the world around him and he heard the moaning and hissing every night. The merpeople were getting nervous and a massive immigration was in question. But they couldn’t move without the headmistress’ permission. And the headmistress was gone for an unknown period of time, while something, hidden deep within Hogwarts was slowly waking up. Finn had a small idea of what that could be. He mostly hoped to be wrong. But if he was right, the thing would wait until the students came back to manifest itself. And Harriet’s second year of school would turn a lot worse than anything she’d face in her first year.

To be continued…


	19. Werewolf vacation

 

“You really think that girl will be alright?”

“Lily, for the nth time, you’ve done everything in your power to make sure she would stay at Hogwarts during summer, to the point that our intervention is almost illegal.”

“You think Sybille will look after her?”

“I think madam Pince will look after her. From what I’ve heard, Granger is always roaming the library, day _and_ night.”

Lily looked up from her cauldron, carefully stirring her wolf’s bane potion in the attic of their home. Snape was correcting his last written exams at the desk in the corner, a wavering candle providing some dim light.

“Maybe I should swing by the school. I know this is not ideal… After all, Irma…”

“Don’t patronize her.”

“Sev, your mother…”

“…is well off not remembering who she was. Just like when you decided that you knew what was better for Granger when you locked off part of her memories with her magic.”

His disapproval was so plain, it almost felt like a jab to her heart. Snape’s mother had been staying at St-Mungo’s mental ward until she convinced her nurse to erase her memory with the most powerful obliviate spell that could be done. Starting over as Irma Pince at Hogwarts, the woman was nothing like her old self, not even recognizing her son amongst the teachers. Lily had no influence in the reshaping of Eileen’s life and mind, except for the fact that she found out about it and warned Snape. It hadn’t been a nice revelation, to say the least.

“I know this may not be what’s best for her… For either of them. But I know for a fact that certain memories don’t make people stronger. It destroys from the inside instead.”

Severus chided himself for forgetting for a minute just how much Lily could relate to Hermione.

“It’s no use forcing yourself to relive the past over and over. Store that potion and take a break for a minute.”

“I’m worried, Severus, I can’t help it. I can’t help but think that something new is coming, something darker that whatever the men eaters have done until now.”

Since he had the same gut feeling, he couldn’t exactly dismiss her intuition. But he got up of his desk and wrapped her in his arms.

“Whatever could come, we’ll face it together.”

…

“Dad, can we have a serious talk?”

Lupin raised his brows.

“What kind of serious talk, Harriet?”

“The kind that concerns Vector’s death.”

Remus face fell and he looked away, his fingers twitching at his side before that he collected himself.

“You’re a little young to…”

“I just want to know what happened.” Harriet interrupted him, knowing how hard this was for him.

Remus shook his head.

“We shouldn’t even mention her name here. I honestly think we should be moving during the summer. If rats could get in…”

“You’re evading the question, dad. Just tell me what happened.”

The girl insistence was made stronger by her determined look. She was sitting at the dining table, her arms crossed in front of her thin chest, her freshly cut hair standing up in all directions.

“Let’s say that Vector had her suspicions about Sirius and… She attacked us. It turned into an outright duel. I shifted and had to take Sirius’ words as truth of what happened afterwards.”

Harriet gasped in shock.

“You… you’d used the potion? Again?”

“I don’t want to hear this. I am the father here, young girl. Everything ended up alright. One less men eater in the world and… I haven’t used that potion for the few last months, if you really have to know.”

Despite wanting to appear more mature, he had to admit she was right. He wasn’t giving her an outstanding example here.

“It’s okay, dad. I just needed to know the details a bit. I was really worried when I read the paper and I know the three of us have a tendency to minimize stuff.”

“I guess we could call it that.” The werewolf sighed. “So, you got plan for this summer?”

“Tracey wanted me to visit her home, so did Dudley and Ron.”

“Sounds like you’ll barely stay around this place for summer.”

“And that’s all for the better.” A dignified voice observed, making both of them jump.

Turning around, the daughter and father discovered Albus Dumbledore himself, with his braided beard and twigs stuck in his long hair.

“What are you doing here?!”

“Sadly, I bear bad news. The men eaters broke out of Azkaban. And I think it’s time you joined the Order, Lupin. We need your tracking skills more than ever.”

Remus frowned while Harriet felt her face draining of all blood. Was Albus asking her other father to go on the run?

“You never mentioned anything like this before…”

“Ours ranks are dimming a little more with every new year. They even got Grindelwald. I fear running isn’t an option anymore. If we don’t fight them head-on, they’ll get us all and instore a rule of obtuse ideals over the entire magician world.”

“Alb…”

“ _Don’t_ say my name out loud! You should know that she cursed it by now.”

Lupin recoiled at the strength of Dumbledore’s voice. The blue eyes of Hogwarts’ previous headmaster were cold and harder than diamonds.

“You already send Sirius on the run before.” Harriet started with a shivering voice. “And now you’re going to take Remus away from me too?”

The blue eyes found her, remaining as ice shards, unblinking. Unwavering.

“You’ve had a taste of what dark magic can do, young girl, but you have no real idea of what is going on. I’ll need Remus for a few months at best. I only ask that you move from one friend’s place to the next as much as you can. We can’t have you alone while both of your godfathers are fighting against men eaters.”

Harriet wanted to remind both of them that Remus was no warlock, but her throat suddenly felt too tight. Lupin was clearly taken aback and almost just as shocked at her. She knew how much he wanted to interfere in the situation, but also how dangerous it would be if he exposed himself for what he was. Werewolves were barely tolerated in the wizarding world.

“You’re planning ahead, as always, old man. You’d better warn us if…”

“The less people know about my planning, the less likely it will fall in the hands of our enemies before that it can come to fruition. So, Lupin, I need you to get miss Potter to her friends before the end of the day. I’ll expect to meet you in the forbidden forest before midnight.”

“You can’t make us into your little soldiers.” Remus warned Albus.

It was one thing to follow his directions when he suggested moving. But now, it sounded like the wizard was expecting Lupin to just give up his life and let him dictate everything he did.

“I’d rather have things go another way, believe me. But this house will soon be compromised, if it isn’t already. And you’re a better tracker than you give yourself credit for. Even Molly said so, and she’s been a tracker for decades.”

Harriet hoped that her father would object. Suggest of moving somewhere else, but not to leave her for the entire summer. What if he got caught? Sirius was already threatened, she couldn’t… But as Dumbledore waited for an answer, Remus seemed already half convinced. He might have liked the tracking. Not being the prey anymore. Not entirely hiding anymore. Laying low had been his only life. She grabbed at his sleeve and eyed the order of Merlin’s wizard with a glare.

“What could make this all so pressing? How could men eaters even escape from Azkaban?”

“The less you know, the better you’ll be, miss Potter.”

“Don’t talk to her like that. I’ll go with you, but only to make sure the Order is tackling this problem the right way. If I disagree with you, I’ll leave.”

“Dad!”

“Staying with me might be more dangerous for you than it used to be, Harriet. As long as She-who-must-not-be-named has followers…”

“Fine then. I’ll see you tonight.” Albus declared coldly, disapparating without a second glance.

“He’ll make you drink more of that potion, dad.”

Remus looked up to the ceiling, before wrapping the small girl in a tight hug.

“You should pack your things, turtle dove. You’ll stay at Lily’s a few days and meet with Tracey as soon as it can be arranged.”

It felt wrong and unfair.

“You don’t have to prove anything, not to him, not to anyone!”

“I’m not proving anything. People are dying Harriet. And I’m afraid that you could get hurt if this goes on any longer. We’ve been lucky to have peace in the last ten years. But we can count on luck all the time.”

She hated Dumbledore for convincing Lupin that he needed to join a war that he hadn’t even started. She cried despite her intentions of keeping it all in. The whole year had been taxing and it seemed like she could never get a break.

“Will I be able to write to you?”

“I’m pretty sure that Echo will always be able to find me. Now hurry and pack, okay?”

The day went by too fast, with Harriet sharing one last meal with her father before to be dropped at Lily’s house without much explications. She felt rejected and lonely, even though Neville did all that he could to raise her spirit. Lupin’s last words for her were the same as always: “Be careful and stay put, turtlebug.”

On the next morning, the news of Azkaban’s first breakout came in the Daily Prophet. Fourteen witches had escaped, all known men eaters. Snape looked gloomier than ever as he folded the newspaper and started cutting it down to tiny bits of paper with his wand. Harriet caught a glimpse of a single escape’s picture. Bellatrix Black. The woman had big, dark eyes that looked mad, surrounded by black circles of skin, as if she hadn’t slept in years. Her face, clearly once beautiful, was a mask of fury.

The worst of Sirius’ cousin if she could believe his words.

 _What’s going to happen next?_ The girl wondered.

…

Hermione walked along the lake, her hands buried deep in her robes’ pockets. Madam Pince had almost thrown her out of the library, claiming that staying inside this long couldn’t be good for her health. The empty hallways and silent classrooms made the young girl nervous. The school she had been excited to discover wasn’t what she’d expected. She hadn’t made a single friend, and only manage to scare the other students enough to make sure no one would try attacking her.

Granger had learned the hard way that you couldn’t trust anyone. She’d also learn how to evade bullies. If you bullied them first, hard enough to show that retaliation from you meant pain, they’d refrain from even trying. She remembered a few things despite professor Evans’ spell. She knew why the grow-ups thought she shouldn’t go home. She also knew that not meeting her father didn’t create any regret in her heart. Her family wasn’t what real families ought to be.

But she still felt frustrated. Her magic was trapped somewhere and her spells weren’t as beautiful as they used to. Oh, she managed everything in the school cursus for the first year. But she evaded a few rows of the library without even meaning to and sometimes, when she puzzled over complicated or modifying spells, her thoughts would just run out on her. She felt broken, in a way she’d never experienced before. Her incredible memory had been a gift and a curse all at the same time. Her father had used her brain to organize all king of things. Theft. Fraud. Even a few murders.

Those memories were still there. She had never been on the sites. She had been all over the blueprints, the relationships between people, the balance in the team he created, the technics that could be used, the potential hints they could leave behind. Leaving for Hogwarts had pretty much been a fugue for the young girl. But her well honed fears weren’t adapted to the castle. She might have been too cruel to others as she tried to assure her own security. And now she was trapped in a bigger paper box. She angrily kicked at the ground, throwing a bit of sand in the dark water.

What happened then, she hadn’t expected!

_Harriet?_

The boy’s voice in her mind made her gasp in shock. She looked around, not answering, fumbling for her wand. Was there another student staying at the castle? It had been one week and she hadn’t seen anyone else…

_Quidnam?_

“Is that Latin? Where the hell are you?”

So you auditus me too? But why are you still around schola?

Hermione tried to piece things together. Whoever or whatever was talking to her, it had reacted when she’d interfere with the lake. And it knew a Harriet. Surely that frustrating Harriet Potter, who was good at everything but transfiguration.

“I’m Hermione Granger. And I ask that you tell me what you are.”

I can’t, miss Granger. Noxa would… I can’t.

That got her attention. The voice sounded scared and if there was one thing that she understood, it was fear.

“So you have enemies. Are you under a curse or maybe…? Do you know how to break magic seal?”

_Magus seal? Is that qvid… you reminded me of Harriet?_

“You mean Harriet Potter, don’t you? So you say that she’s under a magic seal or something?”

_Noxa did it. They do it to every potential witch or wizard that they metuis._

“Who are they? Can we break those seals?”

_Yours will break in tempus. Harriet’s… unraveling it means delere the veil on the memories. Memoriam are always strong in magic. Hiding them is malus._

“Which memories? Obliviating spell are almost unbreakable.”

_Than create a new maledecte. One recalling maledecte._

“You think I can just create a spell?”

I can feel your magicae. It’s stronger than… even Noxa’s.

Hermione felt overwhelmed. She new she was strong. But this strong? She could Noxa was someone dangerous. The one he feared the most.

“I can’t do something like this alone. Will you help me?”

_If I potam… I will, Granger._

“What’s your name? Are you the lake itself?”

_Se… Finn is all Noxa let me say._

A tentacle peeked out of the water and Hermione backed away at the realization. This was the giant squid, speaking to her mind.

“Alright Finn. So you can detect magic seal. And I guess that means there is one on you too.”

He made an approving sound in her head. He sounded young, but despite herself, she had the impression that she could trust him. It wasn’t something Hermione had felt in years.

“Can you tell me anything else?”

If you stay at schola for summer, be careful. Mal things will happen next year.

“How can I trust any words you say?”

_You can’t… But Harriet crede me. And if it means that Noxa will lose… I’ll help you as much as I potam._

Hermione felt a smile growing on her lips. Whatever the squid knew, he could become a more valuable source of information than any book she’d ever read.

…

Tracey’s house looked like a mansion out of a gothic movie. The walls were in stones, the floor either marble or ornate by a checkerboard pattern. The Davies’ family had been as rich as the Malfoys, until Tracey’s mother got ill.

A single house elf worked day and night to keep the house in shape, but signs of neglect were still starting to show. A few stairs were creaking more than the others. There was a hole in the kitchen’s wall and the girls could hear tiny feet scrambling behind the walls. There were rats. Dozens of rats. Harriet wondered if the occurrence of rats around wizards’ house meant something more than what it looked like. Dumbledore had mentioned that their house back at Hogsmeade might be compromised right after the rats had invaded the walls…

“Dad isn’t sure that I should visit the Weasleys. He doesn’t know the truth actually, but they are a few rumors running about Ron’s family, you see.”

“I’m sure that you’ll manage to reach an compromise with him. He can’t be that…”

Harriet was interrupted as she followed her friend down the stairs and both girls were met by the tall, broad shouldered and stiff master of the house, Craig Davies. The man had been a master duelist for the England Wrestomb’s team for years before to hang up his shorts and find work in the ministry. Neville had dozens of cards of the legendary warlock who Sirius had meant to recruit years ago already to the Aurors’ ranks.

“Oh my god.” Harriet said despite herself.

Tracey just looked down self-consciously before to shake herself up.

“Here is my friend, Harriet Potter, dad. She’ll be staying with us for the next two weeks.”

Mister Davies had dark eyes and light brown hair. The bear studs on his cheeks were greying a bit, but he looked strong and intimidating. His hard face split into a smile that was a lot warmer than Harriet would have excepted from someone who could take Grindelwald himself head on.

“James’ mysterious daughter. I used to train with your father, back at Hogwarts. It’s a pleasure, really.”

He extended one open hand and she shook hit awkwardly. Harriet wasn’t the kind to revere anyone. But Sirius had only good words for the man, Neville was a hard-core fan and even Lupin was partial to the duelist. She hadn’t expected that. It wasn’t five minutes later that she asked Tracey why she’d never told him who her father was before!

“And get that look on your face?! You’re Harriet Potter, daughter of James Potter. You should know what it’s like to be the daughter of someone famous. My father was a great sportsman. He brought back trophies and stuff. When my mother got sick, he retired early to take better care of her. And I’ve inherited nothing but her frail constitution and fragile health. I know he loves me, but I don’t make him proud, not even a little. I just make him worry. I was kidnapped once, so I try to lay low.”

The explanation took Harriet aback. Her friend hadn’t confided any of this before. Of course, Harriet knew that Tracey was complexed by her health. She hated the fact she could forego some classes and miss entire weeks of school and not even keep down the tonics that could help her feel better.

“I wonder… if Draco could try to find some of his father’s research.”

“I don’t want help from a Malfoy.”

“But you seem to have a particular frailty. Did you ever try going to a muggle hospital? Receive treatments that weren’t magical?”

“Of course I did, what do you think? Dad was scared enough one time, he almost got arrested for breaking the secrecy over magic. He disapparated with me in the middle of the street and apparated right back in a muggles-care facility for children. One of the nurse was bribed to keep the secret, because she was oblivating-resiliant.”

“Such a thing is possible?”

“It’s a rare condition. You find it mostly in people that doubts of everything they see.”

“Sceptics? That sounds crazy.”

“I know. But enough about me. I don’t want to turn into one of your little rescue projects. And you won’t tell the boys who my father is. I don’t want to be interesting only because I’m Craig Davies’ daughter.”

“Trace, you’re my friend. And what’s more, I’m sure you’d like to have a more comfortable life.”

As they sat on the biggest bed Harriet had seen in her life, eating crackers and playing with magic paper that started moving around as soon as you folded it into something new, Tracey let out a sigh.

“So my life looks uncomfortable to you? I need the great, secretive Harriet Potter to rescue me from my fate?”

Harriet frowned and looked up from her paper crane.

“I didn’t mean… I’d only suggest this because I thought you’d research with me and…”

“Why do you have to make everything better all the time, Harriet? Some things are just the way they are. I’m easily sick and not easily cured. It’s just the way I am, okay?”

Her sentence ended up in a coughing fit and Harriet wondered if she’d just strike a nerve without meaning to.

It was only two days later that she noticed the fact Tracey had laid most of her secrets bare for her to see, like her dad’s identity or the way her mother had died. While Tracey only knew that she had some surrogate family somewhere. Harriet needed one more day to determine if she could share her secrets with Tracey or not. But as the coughing got worse and worse, she realized that the girl’s emotions might be implied in her healing process. She’d red some theory over it in a book as she crammed as much knowledge she could in her mind, preparing for the exams.

The last three days had been hard for both girls. Tracey had isolated herself in her room and Harriet had no company whatsoever. Craig wasn’t often home and he seemed to have trouble showing his emotions around his daughter. In the middle of a particularly harsh coughing fit, Harriet slipped inside Tracey’s room. The house elf was looking after his young mistress, being careful about keeping her head up and bringing her new tissues.

When the crisis calmed down, Harriet walked up to the bed, wondering if her idea could really change something. She made up her mind to cut right to the point.

“I couldn’t help but notice that almost every time you get angry, you seem to turn sick.” She started.

“Good morning to you too, Potter-girl.” Tracey whispered despite her raspy voice.

“Huh, sorry, I mean, hi, I… You’ve been ignoring me, hiding behind that nasty cold.”

“I was trying to prevent you from catching it, but by all means, share my germs.” Tracey retorted cheekily. “What’s this about me… achooo! Getting sick when I get angry? I thought I heard a muggle comic story or something that sounded like that.”

The young girl was perplexed for an instant, but understood that her friend might be referring to Hulk or something of the sort.

“I think you’re angry at me for not sharing as much as you did, Trace. And you’re right. Friendship means that we trust each other and I do trust you… in my _secretive_ way.”

Tracey blinked, remembering when she’d used that word.

“I didn’t mean…” A cough interrupted her and she rolled her eyes. “I might have meant it. It’s just, you have your mind on… so many things at once. And I don’t feel like I can help you at all. Ron and Neville feels the same way actually. You only come to us when you’re desperate.” She chocked and rasped and groaned before to find her voice again. “You don’t have to wait for despair. Just come out and say whatever’s on your mind, Harriet.”

The concerned girl felt overwhelmed as she realized how much her friend meant well with her accusation. So she agreed to confide in her more and started by admitting that she had two godfathers, that were indeed a couple. She gave their nickname to Tracey, admitting that most of the secrets she kept, she kept in fear of she-who-must-not-be-named.

“Holy merlin, Harriet. We’re too young for this kind of worrying. But I get it, really… Although, I wonder. Those fathers of yours. Are they maybe, just as reckless as you are?”

“I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Even when the tree has nothing to do with said apple.”

They laughed together, their friendship more secure than ever. But Tracey’s health wasn’t back in shape.

“I think I might worry too much on too many things I can’t change, so that’s why I keep myself as busy as possible with plans and stuff. And I don’t like seeing you sick. And just because we’re young girls doesn’t mean we can’t discover something that might help you.”

Tracey looked convinced. Although she forbade Harriet from relying on Draco for any kind of permanent recovery.

“I wouldn’t put my life in a Malfoy’s hands even if he was the last human on the surface of the planet!”

Harriet decided to laugh it off. Tracey might come around eventually. Right now, she’d just help the house elf in treating her and try to find clues of where she could start looking to learn over tonic’s resistance and a way to counter it somehow.

Before that they knew it, Harriet’s visit was coming to an end and the floo system was taking the young girl back to Lily’s house until she could go visit Dudley with Neville. A single letter came from Remus, Sirius remaining elusive at best.

_Dear girl,_

_I hope you don’t worry too much. I’m doing good and I don’t have to hide what I am for once. I’ve never felt this useful in my life for quite some time, although I miss your sharp mind and smiles a little more every day. The work keeps piling up, but you should hear of some of our results soon in the Daily Prophet._

_Now, it’s time for the boring recommendations that you wouldn’t want to hear, so be glad they are written. Don’t forget to put on sunscreen if you stay outside for long periods. Don’t stay up too late and always warn your aunt of where you’re going. No butterbeer past seven and no candies in your room. And please, don’t give chocofrogs to Echo. It makes her tipsy._

_Stay safe and take good care of yourself, remember I’m always proud of you, turtledove_

_Hugs and kisses_

_Moony_

Harriet wrapped Echo in a tighter hug as she reread the letter. Those words felt too few to compensate for how much she missed both of her fathers. But at least, Lupin seemed alright.

 _Stay that way, dad._ She thought to herself.

To be continued…


	20. Magic you say?

 

Harriet’s first impression of number 4, Privet Drive was that she’d walked into a mirror that reflected itself indefinitely. Every house looked the same. Lily had insisted that for their visit, she’d drive a car up to her sister’s home. Petunia Dursley was against every kind of magic after all and though Dudley had been authorized by his reluctant parents to go to Hogwarts for a magical education, Lily knew from her nephew that both his parents were still weary of anything magical. So no floo powder and certainly no magical bus or anything of the sort. They took two different trains, and lost an hour in renting a car. Lily had a driver license, but she had to renew it and the procedures took time. Snape had been the most annoyed of the four of them. Especially when a woman commented on their family, assuming that Neville and Harriet were the couple’s child.

For some reason, the very idea of being Potter’s or Longbottom’s father -but mostly Potter’s- drove him close to a panic attack. He contained himself for the time being, his face turning harder with every new contrariety that appeared during their journey. Lily holding his hand was pretty much the only thing keeping him in place. They had all dressed in muggle clothes, Harriet going through the ordeal of putting on a sleeveless summer dress that made her look like a girl despite her short unruly hair. She liked the patterns the black vines followed on the white fabric, but if it hadn’t been a gift from Lily, she would have refused to ever wear it. It wasn’t a surprise to see Snape in a muggle’s attire. He was among the wizards most accustomed to fit in with Muggles. He wore dark jeans, a white shirt and a black jacket. Nevilles had jeans too and a shirt devoid of any pictures, which wasn’t covered by any team name from the few Muggle sports he appreciated. Lily wanted them all to be as neutral as possible.

Despite not caring much for looks herself, the potions master knew how much it counted for Petunia. And as expected, Petunia, Vernon and Dudley were all dressed in formal clothes, and each room of the house the Snape-Evans-Longbottom-Potter group entered looked spick and span.

Petunia looked crisped and was standing too straight, her lips barely moving over her perfect teeth. Lily couldn’t help herself, walking up to her sister for a hug that wasn’t expected but not entirely rejected. Snape shook hands with Vernon for good measures while Dudley escorted Harriet and Neville right to his room, to show them his computer and his collection of plane models. There was about a dozens of them, all carefully painted, hanging from the ceiling.

“That’s pretty awesome mate!”

“Ain’t it? Harriet, I hope my parents didn’t make you want to run away yet. Mom has made a cake that you must try. No house elf of Hogwarts has ever managed something as delightful as mom’s cakes.”

“Oh, that’s sound ominous. I won’t run away… yet.” The girl joked.

The afternoon went by quickly for the teenagers, while Vernon was trying to find any sort of normalcy in the man escorting his sister-in-law.

“Dudley told me you were pregnant, Lil’, so congratulations are in order!” Petunia declared a little coldly.

“Thank you, Petunia. It’s still hard to believe sometimes.” Lily admitted, stroking her round belly.

Now five months along, she couldn’t exactly pretend it wasn’t happening.

“You said you’re a teacher at that school too, right, Severo?” Vernon asked.

 _Don’t jinx any of them_ , the defense against the dark arts teacher told himself.

“Right. And your company… makes hole in things.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you asked!”

While Vernon was ready to jump to a subject that wasn’t magic-related, Petunia asked the question Lily hadn’t been expecting:

“Are you two planning of marrying soon?”

Snape noticed the look on his girlfriend face and utter a single cough, feeling even more uncomfortable than before. Lily’s mouth was open, but no words came out immediately and her green eyes looked for his, as if she was afraid of saying anything that could harm him. He shrugged, hoping for the storm to pass.

“Huh… We’ve only been together for a few months…”

“You’re not rushing things, are you, Lily? I know you’re not that young anymore, but…”

Vernon frowned, his moustache moving in the same rhythm as his brows. He was either judging them or wondering if he had to distract Severus from the women’s discussion. Snape felt the urge to cast a spell over that tuft of hair. To see how they’d react if the thing started crawling over his shirt and jumped through the glass of their fake fireplace. They both looked so stuck up. Like people trapped in their own skin.

“Of course not! This might look unorthodox to you, but I’m really happy with how things are right now in my life.”

There was a lot more beneath there and Snape wondered if things could go any further south. He sure didn’t want to know. So he casted a small dry spell, which got Vernon coughing and soon asking for refreshments. Petunia, being the best hostess ever, invited them to the kitchen and the discussion steered towards Dudley’s marks and schooling.

“He wasn’t having the best grades before this year. But he seems to have found his way now,” Petunia admitted, although reluctantly.

“We thought that losing one year couldn’t hurt if it didn’t work out. But our boy sounded so excited… More excited and willing to learn new stuff than he’d ever been,” Vernon added.

“He’s a really good student, and I say this without any bias,” Lily declared. “He told you about the Wrestomb’s competition, didn’t he?”

“I don’t understand all of it. But wrestling at such a young age... It’s pretty progressive.”

They managed to keep a civilized conversation from there, until the kids came down the stairs to join in dinner. Petunia had prepared five different servings and between the potage and the first round of appetizer, Vernon asked a question that had been driving him insane.

“I understand that you, Lily, have adopted Neville when he was still a baby. But this young girl is…”

“The name’s Harriet, I mentioned her in my letters, dad,” Dudley reminded him.

“Is there no connection between her and Severo here? Their eyes have some… uncanny resemblance.”

Both concerned persons blinked twice, Snape feeling the panic attack returning at the assumption. Because sometimes… he himself wondered a bit. Harriet dismissed any possible resemblance.

“My father was James Potter. I didn’t know my mother, but except from the eyes, I’m every bit like James, or so I’ve been told.”

“Harriet’s like a niece to me,” Lily quickly said. “I’m her godmother actually.”

“I remember you mentioning that once. Although I must say that having an unknown mother sounds impossible in this day and age.”

Harriet noticed the look Petunia was giving her and stared intently at her salad, understanding that there was a lot left unsaid in the name of decorum.

Lily asked Dudley to recount his match against Gryffindor, in which Neville interfered just as much, leaving Snape and Harriet, who had been sat next to each other for some reason, in some kind of a comfortable silence. But despite herself, Harriet was curious.

If someone as slow as Vernon Dursley said she had eyes similar to Snape, there might be some truth in there. It was a mere coincidence though, if it was any right. The girl stole glances at her teacher, who noticed and rolled his eyes as he understood the reason behind her weird attitude.

Since the start of summer, Harriet had grown less wary of him. It wasn’t until he glared at her out rightly that she could get a good view of his eyes. And sure, they were dark, like pools of infinite void. But somehow, she noticed something else. A glint of anger and doubt that changed the black coal of his iris into something deeper. She almost choked on her cake bite. Her eyes were the same dark black. They held as much defiance as hers. And the idea was disturbing. Looking even remotely like Snape, the gloomiest human on earth? She shuddered at the thought and her defense against the dark arts teacher chuckled as he realized that Vernon’s question was as disconcerting for her as for him.

As they parted, Lily hesitated a bit. Petunia held herself so rigidly, she couldn’t be comfortable. But was there really a way for her to reach her sister without making her angry at her? The only time Petunia ever lost her cool around her were because she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Thanks for the dinner. It was really good to see you again.” Lily said quietly.

She felt tired of forcing a smile. Petunia’s eyes lowered a bit and after pinching her lips together, she let out a deep breath. Snape ushered the kids into the car, much to their protest. Neville and Dudley had been making bets on the upcoming matches of the competition and had merely reached the first round of matches when he interrupted them. Harriet lowered her window and held her breathe to hear whatever the sisters were saying, staring at the rear view mirror.

“You should come again, Lily. We’ve been acting like strangers for so long… I need more time to be who I used to be.” Petunia whispered.

“Oh, of course! I… I’ll give you a call every two weeks or so. I might need baby tips in the next year.” Lily managed to laugh, finally wrapping her sister in a hug that wasn’t as awkward as the first one.

Snape stood back, just like Vernon did. Both men weren’t too good with emotions. When the sisters finally separated and kissed each other cheeks, Lily was crying, half from joy, half from the fact Petunia was still so cold. Severus decided to drive them back, despite the fact he hadn’t possess a driver license in the past ten years. Lily was still crying and couldn’t possibly drive. Neville wanted to question his mom, but knew better than to press her when she was already that emotional.

As they pulled out of the driveway, Lily let out a strangled sob.

“Since dad died, she’s never been the same.” She tried explaining.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Snape told her. “Calm down, Lily. She was happy to see you, deep down.”

“If only she could _just_ be happy to see me. I’m sorry, Nev, Harriet, I know I must sound awful. It’s just that…”

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to swallow back her tears and bending around to look at the teenagers on the backseat.

“When our mother passed away, our father took it really, really bad. He changed, to the point I refused to acknowledge him as my father anymore. He started beating Petunia. He’d hit me too whenever I visited. I kept telling her to move him somewhere else, to get him treated, but she insisted on taking care of him, even after she’d gotten married. I tried bringing him to St-Mungo’s and that’s when Petunia really stopped talking to me.”

Lily turned back, looking at the road ahead of them, but kept on explaining, thinking that it was important.

“A year later, our father was killed by a man eater. Dudley was about... four years old. I don’t think he ever met his grandfather. Petunia could let herself be beaten black and blue, but not her son. I saw her at the funeral. For some reason, she was devastated from his death. And I made the mistake to tell her that she should be relieved instead.”

Her sobs came back, stronger this time. Snape looked tensed and Neville extended his arm to put one hand over his mother’s shoulder. Harriet did the same, knowing what her friend would say.

“It’s okay, mom. I’m sure she was just as nervous as you.”

“And remaining in the past won’t help you, auntie. You remember what you always told me when I did something bad? What’s done is done, you just have to do better as you move on.”

A laugh merged with the sobs and the worst of it seemed to be over. Snape made a mental note to make sure to keep Lily away from anything related to her family for the rest of her pregnancy. She was already more emotional than usual. She didn’t need more pressure.

After that bittersweet visit, Lily mostly needed time to heal and rest herself. So evidently, she worked herself day and night to make sure the baby’s room -which consisted of her bedroom- would be ready in time. Neville helped with crafting a crib while Harriet worked on the new paints Lily had ordered. Severus got authorisations for magically adding two rooms to the house, one that would be right next to the baby’s room, the other one in the basement supposed to be the guest room. Harriet was currently invading Neville’s room and the boy was sleeping on the couch. Everything felt temporary and it wasn’t always easy to get along.

Each moment Harriet could get with her aunt, she thanked Merlin for. She knew that soon, Lily would devote herself to someone new, someone who would need to be looked after at all times.

“Have you decided on any name yet?”

Lily was knitting a baby blanket in soft blue wool and carefully started a new line of knits before to answer the girl.

“Severus is so nervous; you’d think I’m going to give birth to some chosen one mystical child. I want us to agree, but so far, he suggested nothing and rejected everything I thought about.”

“Do you know if it’s going to be a boy or a girl already?”

“I haven’t asked. I want it to be a surprise. If it’s a girl, I’m thinking about something like Lucinda or maybe Rose. I’m not sure.

“Didn’t Snape rejected every…”

“I haven’t told him of those yet. I think he still need to come to terms with all it means to become parents, for both of us.”

Harriet nodded, although she couldn’t exactly picture herself how much a newborn meant. Responsibilities, sure. Sleepless night too, and what about an entire life of worrying for that child?

“What if it’s a boy?”

“I must say that my first choice would have been Harry, but Severus disagreed strongly.”

“Harry Snape doesn’t sound that good.”

“That’s not how you choose a name, Harriett. And although you might be right, I find this riddle difficult. Which name would sound better with Snape?”

Harriet scrunched up her nose in concentration, while Lily decided to turn this into a game.

“Travis? William? Jimmy? Edward? Colin? Grant?”

For each name, Harriet gave a definitive shake of the head.

“Oh, definitely not!”

“Than it will be between Callum and Trevor.”

“Trevor? But that’s the name Neville had given his frog when we were kids!”

The decision of a name seemed stuck to this point and since summer was the most elusive of season, before receiving another letter from Lupin, she was preparing to leave for the Burrow.

Neville seemed a little more nervous than usual. Ron had six sisters after all, and four of them would be there, unless the eldest, Charlie, showed up for a surprise visit.

“One entire month among a werewolf pack.” He whispered.

Lily seemed oblivious to the fact, but it was all a pretend, since Severus knew and most of what the man knew, his girlfriend learned about.

“We’re going to have so much fun!” Harriet observed.

“I think so too. But it’s one entire month among a werewolf pack with a majority of _girls_ , Harriet. We might not survive this.”

Harriet laughed, understanding that Neville was joking now. Their luggage had already been sent and they had both grabbed a handful of floo powder, standing in front of the fireplace.

“Be good, you two and make sure not to let Molly spoil you too much. She’s a dear, but she tends to overdo things every now and then.” Lily told them.

“Be careful mom. And keep us informed about how things are going, huh?” Neville replied, already acting too mature for his age.

His last sentence was referring to her larger than ever baby bump.

“We’ll behave, I hope you kids will too,” Lily laughed, giving them a wave.

Hugs and kisses had already been exchanged and Harriet didn’t feel as lonely as usual. Even with Snape around, this place felt like a home. And she might be too busy for the next few weeks to miss Remus and Sirius as much as she did whenever she had time on her hands. The young students threw their floo powder in the fireplace in turns, clearly claiming their destination:

The Burrow!

…

“Actually, dad wanted to call it the Packgrounds, but mom thought it was too obvious.” Ron told them over dinner.

The entire family was reunited around the table, Molly sitting in the place of her late husband, surrounded by Georgia and Frederica. It was Ginevra’s birthday and they all celebrated with a cake that had nothing to envy Petunia’s desserts. Persephone was currently cutting the cake and Harriet was whispering with Ron and Neville. Bella was sitting on a large chair despite her lupine form, reuniting with her family during summer. Harriet got along with every Weasley sitting around the table. Charlie was the only absent and the family clock was linking her name to _Mortal Peril_ , an occurrence that happened so often that Molly almost dismissed it.

Molly Weasley didn’t appear old enough to have seven children each past 11 years old. She was a pure werewolf and retained the same red fur as her fiery hair when shifting. Harriet had been able to hear them howling together, while Bella sat with her and Neville on the porch, human for only a few hours while her siblings were running in the fields around the house. Unlike other werewolves, the Weasley had entire control of their transformation as they grew. Ron and Ginny were kept in check by the twins, because the younger a wolf, the less in control they could be, but Persephone and Molly would go as far as licking Bella’s hands and fingers, acting more dog than wolf around her. They were all really cuddly, which made them a lot warmer than your usual family. Harriet had been engulfed in so many hugs already, she had lost counts and Neville, who wasn’t yet interested in girls, had tried to evade some of those affectionate embraces, to no avail.

Ron was clearly spoiled rotten by each and every of his sisters. Of course, they pulled tricks at each other and any tumble and play sessions meant he would be covered in bruises that would heal just as quickly. Molly cared for him a great deal, mentioning more than once how much he reminded her of his father with teary eyes. Her daughters would tease her and Ron would simply blush, clearly torn between his own regret of not knowing his father more and of being the only man of the house. Harriet understood only part of the situation. The Weasleys were a clan and a pack, but they were a family foremost. Disagreements weren’t settled with fights or power display. They barked a lot at each other, but in the end, they talked it out, often asking those outside of the dispute to play intermediates.

Ron enrolled both of his friends into getting back at the twins with pranks of their own and the month was spent mostly in laughter, too much food on their plates and turning the house into a chaotic mess. Molly worked mostly at night and never seemed to take a break, always up early in the morning. Bella kept a vigilant watch in their mother’s absence, and Persephone took over some chores, ordering her younger sisters and brother around to complete whatever had been left undone.

“Isn’t that Tracey girl coming eventually to visit?” Frederica asked once.

Harriet had received four letters from Tracey already.

“She’s really sick lately. I think her father has decided that she needed to stay quiet in order to gain some strengths to get back to school.”

“I heard that she might be homeschooled if she doesn’t get any better.” Neville added.

Ron looked annoyed.

“It’s not fair, really. We barely ever get sick!”

“Bro, don’t think like that. Turning someone is putting a curse on them.” Georgia reminded him.

“I never said anything about turning her!”

His denial came out a little too strong and Harriet blinked as her eardrums hurt. But Ginny decided to put oil on the fire, seeing as her brother’s ears were turning scarlet red.

“Oh my… Sounds like you might consider it someday, Ron.”

“Do you have the hots for…?!”

“Can it, all of you! She’s a friend, alright? Just like Harriet’s my friend.”

Bella gave a playful bark and Frederica insisted.

“Someone’s looking awfully nervous.”

“Okay, that’s it, Freddie. Lee Jordan and Geor…”

“Oh my god, Ron!!! You’d sworn to me!” Georgia exclaimed furiously.

“You sneaked out with Jordan to watch a movie without me? Is that what you did?”

Neville covered his ears and gave a look to Harriet, meaning they might prefer to run. Ron was right behind them and the house remained its cacophonic self while the future second years took refuge in Ron’s room, at the top of the stairs.

“For crying out loud. They read too many romance novels, those… girls!” the red haired boy groaned as he closed the door shut behind them.

Harriet let out a giggle that soon turned infectious. But when the three of them stopped laughing, it was to reflect on the fact Tracey was sick again.

“I think we should try to make a little something to cheer her up, don’t you guys think?” Neville offered.

…

_Harriet,_

_Summer is a never-ending training session for me. Mother has been on edge ever since her sister escaped from Azkaban. She’s enforced the manor’s security and almost killed our house elf twice. I’ve tried sneaking a few books out of Father’s library, but only one is about healing. Emotions influencing sickness has been theorized before. Some Muggle call it psychology. You’d be surprised how many Muggle’s books my father has collected for his work. He was trying to mix both sciences together, when you-know-who put his name on her hit-list. I think I could work something out for Davies, but I highly doubt she’ll trust me. And I have no idea why I should even try any of this. I’m 12 freaking years old! And I’m not that interested in recruiting Pomfrey to our aid._

_Who’s to know she doesn’t prefer pure blood in her diet?_

_Anyway… Tonic resilience is rare, as you already know. Being resistant to muggle’s drugs could mean that Davies is subject to many different kinds of allergies. We rarely test wizard and witch for allergies. We can usually fix them with potions. So, the first step would be to understand which ingredient she rejects and which she doesn’t._

_This is a lot worse than the summer homework’s the teachers gave us, I hope you realize that. And I don’t think we’ll have access to enough information to manage a serious find or something. It’s like a life-long project, you know. If the philosopher stone truly existed, it might be possible, but Nicholas Flamel was a fluke. That stone is supposed to be able to heal anything. But… well, all that to say that I don’t have a lot to work on or to work from._

_Thanks for the sugar quills. If I ever get cavities, I’ll know who to thank for._

_Jokes aside… did you hear who would be our new potion master? I’ve heard of a pretty shady guy, but I didn’t spend half of my summer living with two Hogwarts’ teachers._

_I guess I’ll see you at the feast, since you won’t be boarding the train this year either?_

_Till then,_

_Draco Malfoy_

“I can’t believe he’d had the gals to write a letter like that!”

But it sounded like him. She wondered if Bellatrix Black could prove a danger for Draco’s mother. There was so many people to worry about in those awful times and so little time to find a way to protect the most of them. On her last night at the Burrow, Harriet found herself restless, tossing and turning in the bed she had in Bella’s old room. The werewolf stuck in wolf form usually slept in the living room downstairs, feeling more at home in front of the fireplace, where Arthur Weasley used to group his cubs to tell them stories.  Very few of her friends had a living father, and for those who did, they were either on the run or emotionally-stunted.

As for herself, she had three different fathers, one that had been too popular for his own good and gotten killed. The second who fought killers on a daily basis, as if he had some dead wish… and the last one had accepted to risk his life for some grand cause, even if it meant that she ended up all alone. Her dreams were filled with doubts and running shadows. Somewhere deep and far, dark, void-like eyes stared. She knew those eyes. And for some reason, they didn’t scare her. But she couldn’t understand why…

To be continued…


End file.
